Soul's Requiem
by Chibi Mirai Gogeta
Summary: Companion story of Captive Souls: A warrior's world is turned upside down and he has no idea who he was and is forced to take the lives of others. Only a spirited woman can make him realize the errors of his ways and fight the chains of oppression.
1. Dark Sanctuary

**Soul's Requiem**

**Prologue**

Darkness was all he could see around him. The smell of death and decay he had long since grown used to due to the fact that he lived with it daily. He longed for it; however, a being of greater strength kept such a thing from happening. He had no idea how he had gotten to such a desolate place nor did he remember anything of great significance. The only world he knew was that of the shadows dancing upon the wall, the harsh voice and the tortured screams that he would emit.

The one who he called 'master' had given him a name, but it felt so empty, so uncaring and cold like the very cell around his form. He had no idea if it was his real name or not, but at this point, any name would do better than being called a dirty monkey and sneered by the other shadowy figures.

The cell door opened in what felt like an eternity and he raised his head to see his master waltz into his domain. The light was painful to his light-sensitive eyes and he was forced to shut them in order to preserve eyesight.

"It's time to begin your training Dusk," the one he called master beckoned.

The chains that held his form against the wall slackened and he fell to the ground helpless as a child. He landed face first into the bile and defaced floor beneath him. Struggling to get on his hands and knees due to the weakened hunger in his gut, he soon found himself hauled to his feet by two pairs of arms that dragged him out of the darkness into the blinding light.

Dusk's regret was leaving the sanctuary of the darkness and once more being pulled into the putrid world that he had long since grown to detest when his eyes first fell upon it.

_**To Be Continued…**_


	2. A Master's Agenda

**Soul's Requiem**

**Chapter 1**

Water fell upon Dusk's head while he stood within a strange stall naked. He stood there weakened from both hunger and the lack of use in his muscles while the earthen females scrubbed tirelessly at his skin. He saw no point in being here at this moment being treated like he was, but it was the orders of his master that kept him from disobeying his direct orders, so there he stood utterly helpless in his current state. One of the females fell before his feet and he glanced down to see that she had been carrying a towel; however, it was soaked due to the soapy water that covered the floor.

"P-please… don't punish me… I didn't mean to slip…" the girl muttered in fear in case the man were to punish her similar to Raizen himself.

"Get another," Dusk muttered softly; not really caring much about the evident fear that trembled in her voice.

The girl quickly departed, taking the soaked towel with her. Dusk felt the water stop hitting his back and the other women that had tended to him parted. Slowly, he walked out of the stall to await the girl who would provide the towel. He glanced around his surroundings within the white tile-splashed room he stood in and mentally disliked the fact that these feeble earth women feared him just as they did his master. He had no idea why, but apparently, he felt like they were doing this to avoid his wrath.

* * *

Elsewhere, within the city, a hooded figure ran through the alleyway towards a nearby store. Soldiers had patrolled the streets on a nightly basis, and tonight was no different from the others she walked alone under the cloudy skies. The soldiers were watching out for the being called the Mysterious Nightingale for she appeared and vanished in the darkness like magic. No one, not even Raizen, was able to capture the elusive female that had not only thwarted his plans, but also gave dim hope to the survivors within the city that evaded capture.

Waiting with bated breath, the Mysterious Nightingale made a bee line straight for the boarded up shop; poised to find the items that she needed to gather before dawn. Medicines, fresh water, food and even cloth would be a godsend in these trying times. All she needed to do was ensure she wasn't caught off-guard and forced to fight for the items.

'_Oh Goku, if only you were here…'_ the Mysterious Nightingale thought sadly while leaning against the cool wall within the store. She knew she couldn't stop for long and began to stockpile what food, water and other supplies she could muster inside of her basket.

* * *

The spandex-type uniform sat within the quarters that Dusk was assigned and for once, he preferred any clothing over the dirtied rags that he had been wearing. Slipping it on, it felt alien to him to be wearing anything like this. The pure black clothing seemed to hide not one curve of his ribs due to the forced starvation he had underwent for weeks due to the conditioning he had undergone. He glanced up and noted a mirror on the other side of the room and grimaced at the face he had seen reflected.

Blood shot eyes that seemed filled with anguish and pain and the darkened circles beneath them seemed evident. He also noted the unruly black hair and the weakened state he was in. Yet, he wondered for a fleeting moment if he was truly meant to be a part of this horrid genocide since it held such a traumatized look. Tearing his gaze away, he felt almost though he were sickened from the very sight that he alone bore and did not wish to stare at himself another moment.

Searching the room, he saw a set of drawers and opened one of them. There were different knick knacks within and he found some sort of black hood to put over his head. Not one to care about color, he put it on and turned to look back at the mirror. Relieved at the slight improvement, he sought to find something to cover his face, but found nothing that really stood out. Still, one out of the two was better than having to deal with the ugliness of his form.

Walking towards the door, he opened it to head down to the mess hall in order to obtain food. It was his master's orders that he at least got something to eat before he was to meet with him about his training. Whatever it consisted of, he knew that it wouldn't be long before he learned of his reason of being pulled out of the abysmal darkness that was once his world.

* * *

The basket strained under the weight of the salvaged goods while the Mysterious Nightingale ran back towards the alley. Her muscles burned from the items that she carried within the reinforced basket and eventually found the sewer cap that lead underground. She slid it off before finding the rope and quickly tying it around the basket and slid it down first. She was about to head down herself when she sensed danger. Covering the spot where she usually entered, she ran further down the alley. It was an attempt to dissuade the soldiers from finding her; however, she ran into a group regardless that had set up an ambush.

"Halt Mysterious Nightingale," one of the soldiers called to her. "You will not continue to resist!"

"I'll resist as long as Raizen continues to hunt for us and enslave mankind!" the Mysterious Nightingale yelled before lunging at the soldiers to fight them off alone.

* * *

For the first time, Dusk got a good look at his master. He had long, ashen velvet hair that ran down to his chest. Scarlet eyes filled with trepidation seemed soul-piercing and his skin was a milky-white color in contrast to the shadows around them. He wore black pants decorated with silver armor to protect his lower regions and he had an air of command that seemed to make the lowly soldier in his ranks shutter in fear. His chest was completely bare; almost though he preferred to show his might without even daring to don anything to expose the utter perfection of his chest and to taunt others who would kill to have not one blemish upon his torso.

"Welcome Dusk," his master's voice beckoned. "It's time for your first training assignment."

"Training assignment?" Dusk repeated rather confused.

"We cannot send you out to fulfill your main objective until you are fully conditioned," the master explained.

"Right…" Dusk felt unsure about what his master wanted him to do until a door opened. He saw the girl that had dropped his towel earlier with fear in her eyes. She was pushed into the room by a pair of soldiers that had treated her no better than bullies on a playground.

"Your mission Dusk is to kill this pitiful human…" the master spoke with seriousness evident in his voice.

"Why?" Dusk asked in pure distaste. "She didn't do anything wrong."

"She dropped a towel and must be punished with death," the master ordered; the anger evident in his voice.

"I… I won't…" Dusk growled; defying his master's words.

"I gave you a direct order and you dare not follow through with it?" the master's voice seethed and the girl in question fell to her knees in utter fear. "No matter, I will ensure that in time, my word will be the only thing you will follow. Let me make an example of what would happen if you dare defy me in the future…"

Before Dusk could utter another word of complaint, the girl was engulfed in a large red blast and her dying screams echoed throughout the area. Dark rich laughter was heard while Dusk turned his head away in anguish. For an odd reason, the very act felt wrong to watch; however, he realized that now, he knew his fate if he were to disobey his master again.

The next thing he knew, Dusk found himself dragged off into the ship's dark and gloomy catacombs before he was thrown onto a laboratory table. Instantly, he felt the shackles digging into his skin in order to hold him down. Fear was etched into his soul and he had no idea what was going to happen to him next.

"Lord Raizen, to what do I owe the honor?" a hissing voice was heard. Dusk saw a green skinned creature with round black eyes and gray hair covering his slightly pointed ears.

"Grogan, I need you to fashion chi restraints and a mental obedience object directly in his brain," Raizen demanded.

"A… mental obedience object? I don't think that procedure's been perfected on creatures of his type yet…" Grogan rebuked.

"You WILL put it into his skull correctly or forfeit your life!" Raizen yelled angrily at the creature. Dusk felt sorry for him, but said nothing in fear that his master may turn on him next.

"O-of course Lord Raizen…" Grogan whimpered before turning to the man on the table.

The last thing Dusk saw before darkness claimed his sight was the mortified expression on the alien's face.

* * *

The sewer lid moved and the Mysterious Nightingale quickly slid inside before moving the object back into place. She limped back to the main area and noticed that the items were already being distributed by her eldest son. Collapsing into the hammock, she didn't bother to remove the hood that obscured her vision.

"Mom, are you alright?" the boy asked.

"I'll be fine Gohan," the Mysterious Nightingale, rather Chi-chi replied.

"You ran into them again didn't you?" Gohan hinted.

"I had no choice but to fight them," Chi-chi groaned in pain. It was evident that she had barely managed to drive them off alone. "I wish your father was here…"

"I think Goten and everyone else feels the same way mom," Gohan agreed. "Just get some rest…"

"Gohan," Chi-chi's voice stopped him. "Let Goten know that we'll spend some time training together when I feel better…"

"I plan on telling him mom," Gohan promised and left the resting area.

* * *

It felt like an eternity had passed since Dusk went under and he found himself in a room that had other human survivors. They were weakened by hunger and thirst and Dusk realized for the first time that they were much worse off than he was.

'_**Kill them…'**_ a voice echoed within his mind.

'_Why?'_ Dusk thought, unsure if he heard this voice or was imagining it.

'_**Because I order you to…'**_

'_But… these are…'_

'_**Don't you dare disobey me Dusk. Do it. Kill them…'**_

'_I can't… I can't… I…'_

'_**Do it or your life is at forfeit!'**_ Those words shook Dusk to the very core. He looked up at the humans and realized that they were staring at him with dark looks on their faces. Moments before, they were fearful, but now, they seemed like they wanted to kill him.

Without a word, Dusk opened his palm and with a sad look in his eyes, a blast appeared aimed directly at the survivors that he was imprisoned with.

* * *

It felt like months had passed before the door finally opened. Dusk looked up at Raizen who only smiled a sadist smile before walking further into the cell. At first, Dusk believed he was to be punished, but when he saw Raizen offer a hand, he stared at it in confusion.

"You finished your first objective," Raizen spoke. "A congratulation is in order and I would like it if my new right hand would join me for dinner."

"Right hand?" Dusk repeated the words in confusion while staring up at the hand almost though it were a lifeline.

"Yes," Raizen's smirk only grew. "It means you are to have anything within reason."

"I do have one request," Dusk spoke rather uneasy.

"Name it." Raizen demanded.

"I want something to cover my face." Dusk looked to the ground.

"Consider it done," Raizen clasped Dusk's shoulder and the newly appointed right hand grasped his master's in return to be hauled to his feet. "I will have the surviving Earthlings craft you something of what you requested and it will be brought to you within a day's time. It is only fitting that your name would be tied to a masked man who is to bring despair and anguish to this horrid world."

Dusk said nothing more to that. In fact, he had no idea why he was considered valuable to Raizen and did not dare question his objectives. The only thing he knew was he had been spared his master's wrath and while killing the humans was wrong; the fear of angering Raizen was greater.

* * *

"Is Chi-chi alright?" a voice asked.

"She's hiding her pain, but I think she's just bruised," Gohan whispered.

"Maybe I should heal her," the voice asked again.

"She might appreciate it Dende," Gohan smiled at the Namekian. Quietly, he walked into the room and his hands hovered over the sleeping woman's body. A low hum emitted in the air and the pained look on Chi-chi's face diminished, but did not go entirely away.

"If only I had the power to chase away her nightmares…" Dende spoke sadly.

"You did enough, don't punish yourself," Gohan smiled reassuringly. "I better get ready to go."

"Be careful Gohan," Dende warned.

* * *

A full mask painted completely black rested upon the pillow before him the next afternoon. Picking it up, it felt light-weight and fragile; however, he welcomed it to seeing his face all the time. Putting it on, he looked in the mirror and saw the unfamiliar man in its reflection. He felt more confident in hiding the pained expression from all eyes to see. He knew that this mask was only the first step down the twisted path of servitude to a madman, but he had no real choice but to follow through with his orders and be spared of any further pain.

"I see you like the mask," Raizen's voice spoke from behind him. Instantly, Dusk turned and knelt lowly to the ground almost though he had done something wrong by not noticing him sooner. "It compliments you, but I feel that there is more ways to enhance your image. No matter, it is time for your conditioning to continue."

"As you wish master," Dusk's voice echoed slightly behind the mask.

_**To Be Continued…**_


	3. Transgressions

**Soul's Requiem**

**Chapter 2**

The gray and ravaged world that Dusk had seen outside of the confinements of the ship made him wonder why Raizen wanted such a place when it looked depressing. Yet, he knew that where there is life, there are also those that openly disobeyed his master's rules and reasons for wanting this world under his grasp.

Dusk later learned this lesson the hard way when one day, a human child was brought to his feet. At first, he was confused of why she was brought to him until Raizen ordered for her extermination. Again, the masked warrior hesitated until the girl recovered and staggered back onto her feet.

"You big meanies killed my parents!" the girl openly protested and lunged to attack Dusk.

The masked soldier; fearing she would be a threat, blasted her into atoms. As her dying scream echoed throughout the ship, he felt sickened by the idea that he had just destroyed a life without hearing her out. Then again, the eyes he had just seen had a hint of savagery in them; one that had made him act purely out of instinct and self-preservation.

"Excellent…" Raizen commended the execution that Dusk had done flawlessly. "You are learning that not one of these earthlings will ever forgive you…"

"Forgive me? For what?" Dusk found himself asking.

"For your actions and utter loyalty to me," Raizen chuckled. "Don't worry yourself over their proclamations of such trivial things. They don't matter in this world where we are forced to ensure their submission to our cause."

"What is our cause?" Dusk questioned. Ever since he had been brought out of the darkness, he had wondered what his purpose was in Raizen's ranks. He assumed that all he was to do was kill on command, but it seemed as though his priorities were being changed every time he was in the overlord's presence.

"To ensure complete control of the very universe and to enslave worlds in order to have their resources," Raizen explained. "This world called Earth is one of many I wish to add to my empire and you Dusk are to help me achieve this goal. Those who oppose me are against the idea of joining something far greater in my grand design."

"Understood," Dusk muttered, but a part of him still felt sickened by the idea. "If you will excuse me master…"

"Of course, you are dismissed for now," Raizen waved his right hand away. Dusk rushed back into his quarters and ran into the adjacent bathroom where he removed the mask and vomited within the toilet.

'_Why do I feel I did the wrong thing?'_ Dusk thought silently, angered at himself at the idea that he had to take lives of not only those who were hungry, but children's lives as well. _'Why do I feel like this? It's wrong, but… if I don't do it… no, I have to do it… even if it feels wrong…'_

For the rest of the day, he stayed within the safety of his quarters and did not join Raizen for dinner much to his master's disappointment. As he fell asleep, the nightmares of children dying, fighting, even being shielded by a parent or another loved one, rampaged throughout his dreams.

* * *

"Trunks, how are you feeling?" a timid voice questioned.

"I'm feeling just as I was the last time you asked Goten," Trunks muttered.

Ever since the world had gone to hell, Trunks found himself confined in bed. While the boy could easily move around and gone out with the other during the raids, his chi had been blocked when one of Raizen's soldiers had ambushed him one day. He had been blindsided when he felt a strange object hit his back.

The said object dissolved in his blood stream and was blocking his ability to harness chi; something they learned the hard way the next raid when Trunks couldn't fire a blast. They later learned that it was an Anti-Chi bullet that penetrated his body and would limit his power until it worked itself out of his blood stream. When and if was the only thing though and the boy found himself sidelined having to protect his mother on scrap raids at times.

"Mom's been really sad lately… all she's been doing was looking at that box dad gave her before he flew off," Goten spoke in a sad voice.

"I don't see why she holds on to such a stupid thing without opening it," Trunks rolled his eyes. "I mean she's never going to see him again anyway, so why doesn't she just open it already?"

"Maybe my dad's still alive out there," Goten looked up through the grate. The orange hues of the sunset were seen reflected off the otherwise lifeless walls of the buildings. "One day, dad's going to come back and then, we can be a family again."

"Mmm…" Trunks fiddled with the wires that were in a nearby box. He almost wished he could share in his friend's happiness, but he knew until Goku's return and the dragon balls were gathered, there would be more heartache and pain than needed.

* * *

The next evening, Dusk was taken into the ruins of the very city he had seen from within the ship and was amazed by the complexity of the paths that seemed to lead everywhere and nowhere at the same time. By Raizen's orders, he was to learn about the city's layout and find any survivors who escaped any previous capture attempts. The very air itself was hot, but he did not remove his mask or the clothing that was soaked with his own sweat.

A clang was heard and Dusk pulled away from the group to investigate. He dove into a nearby alleyway and saw a teenage male with an older woman with blue hair collecting scrap metal.

"Run Bulma," the male ordered. The female nodded and abandoned any of the resources she was after and ran with the cart in her grasp.

"None of you will escape," Dusk held up a hand and energy gathered. Before he could fire, the teenager punched him across the face. The mask held up despite the blow delivered and he landed on the ground and slid backwards. He sprang forward and threw a kick to the teenager's midsection while the two traded blows against one another.

"Who are you?" the teenager questioned.

"I am Dusk, Raizen's right hand man," the masked man answered. "And you are a human. You are one of those who defy his orders…"

"Defy a man who enslaved our planet?" the teenager hissed angrily. "He captured my father and drove my mother into a state of depression! How can you serve him?"

"What nonsense do you…?" Dusk suddenly paused and he felt pain echo in his head. He saw this man being attacking Raizen while he was closing in; yet, it made no sense. When Dusk finally recovered, the teenager was gone and he noticed that morning was starting to break. "Mark my words human, eventually, I will ensure you along with the others are brought to my master's feet."

* * *

Below in the sewers, Gohan sighed in relief while Bulma stood there with the scrap metal in the cart.

"Next time, we should just go to the outskirts of the city," Bulma demanded.

"No, it doesn't matter where we go, they will have forces everywhere," Gohan grumbled. "I'm still worried about father and now, there's a new guy named Dusk after us…"

"Dusk?" Bulma spoke in concern.

"Yeah, but don't tell mom, we don't know if he's really Raizen's right hand or not," Gohan explained.

"Right, kind of like how that last guy said the same months ago until Chi-chi gave him the one-two," Bulma grinned eagerly. The memory of the Mysterious Nightingale kicking the previous claimant's butt was something that Vegeta scoffed at until he showed up one evening for one final act of revenge. Instead, Chi-chi had wasted no time taking him down on her own and instead of sparing him, Piccolo did away with the man.

"Yeah, but I think this time, he's the real deal…" Gohan grimaced when he pulled up his shirt and Bulma saw the bruises decorating his skin. "If he could do this to me, he could do worse to mom…"

"Oh gods…" Bulma realized the injuries that Gohan had sustained fighting the masked man. If it were Chi-chi having fought against Dusk, there was a chance that it would have been much worse than how the half-Saiya-jin had taken the blows.

* * *

Later, Dusk found himself confined within his quarters without food for not following the soldiers and going out on his own. He ignored the hunger that gnawed at his stomach and laid there wide awake at the idea that there were indeed people who openly opposed his master's orders. He did not understand why the teenager resented the idea of Raizen's rule over their planet when his master had plans for this world.

'_I thought I understood, but why is it there are those who think differently from me?'_ Dusk thought. His head ached again and this time, he saw an unknown dark-haired female grabbing his arm with tears in her eyes. Cringing in pain, he had no idea of who she was, but a part of him wondered if this woman was someone of great importance to him.

The lights suddenly went out and for a fleeting moment, Dusk felt paralyzed within the pitch darkness. The sound of dying screams and the smell of decay filled his nose. His pulse quickened while in his mind's eye, he recalled hanging inside of the dark cell for weeks after…

'_Wait… why can't I remember anything before I woke up in that cell?'_ Dusk finally realized. _'Why is it I'm alive? Did Lord Raizen do this to others like me?'_

The lights finally came back on and the paralysis wore off. Dusk sat up before walking into the bathroom and knelt before the toilet. For the second time since he was released, he forced the mask up and vomited. He groaned in utter discomfort from losing what food he had left in his stomach and hoped that his master would be merciful and forgive him of his shortcomings.

O

The next afternoon, Dusk was kneeling before Raizen while the overlord briefed them of their latest mission.

"…I expect that the store is ruined to keep the Mysterious Nightingale from raiding it," Raizen finished.

"Mysterious Nightingale?" Dusk repeated.

"She is a menace to our cause and the harbinger of hope for those that openly go against my plans," Raizen growled. "To ensure that she does not continue this, we will strike first."

"Understood," Dusk agreed to the master's terms.

"You will set out and ensure that her plans are thwarted. Dismissed."

* * *

The setting sun did nothing to quench the heat that surrounded Dusk while he ran with the other soldiers towards their location. The shadows of the twilight began to make the abandoned city look more intimidating than in the daylight. Eventually, they reached the warehouse where a stockpile of food and other supplies were held. Guns were poised at the very entrance while some of the soldiers went inside to gather the unspoiled food and load it into one of the caravans. After confirming the raid, they set fire to the warehouse.

While the soldiers celebrated, Dusk noticed movement at the edge of his vision and saw a cloaked figure dart down the alleyway. Despite his orders to ensure the food reached the ship, Dusk took off after the fleeing figure. As he rounded a corner, he realized that the figure had vanished just as she appeared. Was the figure he briefly pursued the one Raizen called the Mysterious Nightingale?

'_Mysterious Nightingale… I wonder… was that you I caught sight of? If so, why do you fight for a lost cause?'_ Dusk questioned before returning to his post before he was again missed and once more penalized for abandoning his duty.

O

Chi-chi caught her breath within the shadows of the alley while watching the unknown soldier leave the area. She had no idea that she came relatively close to being captured by Dusk and brought to Raizen. Had she been a few steps slower, he would have easily caught her since she was still sporting injuries from her previous scuffle. Despite Dende's healing power, she knew the Namekian was weakened drastically from straining his efforts with the other warriors that were injured in the raids in an effort to protect her.

'_They're getting more and more brutal… if this keeps up, we might not have enough food for the winter,'_ Chi-chi sadly thought. She looked up at the skies and knew that despite autumn being weeks away, their stockpile of food was still not enough; especially with Raizen's soldiers doubling their efforts of thwarting their plans.

* * *

"It seems that your mission for destroying the warehouse has dropped their morale," a figure snickered.

"Excellent, I appreciate you reporting to me Milton," Raizen smirked. "Keep me posted on their raid patterns."

"Of course Lord Raizen," Milton snickered before leaving. Dusk watched the turncoat of the Mysterious Nightingale's rebellion run off into the shadows that he emerged from. Thankfully, the disgust he had towards the little rebel was well-hidden behind the mask or he would had been punished severely for his ill thoughts.

"Dusk," Raizen's voice broke Dusk's gaze from the darkness, "what were your thoughts of the raid this evening?"

"I thought it was different from our hunt of the humans since it was all in one place," Dusk summarized.

"And that's the reason for this assessment," Raizen pointed out. "Like the food, the humans are more likely to be hiding all in one place than in various areas within this city. In time, you will find and pursue the Mysterious Nightingale."

"You want me to hunt the Mysterious Nightingale?" Dusk questioned in surprise.

"Yes, it's only fitting that you become my Nightingale Hunter," Raizen practically purred in delight. "If those humans knew this, they would sooner sell out one of their own to save their own hides."

"If that is your wish, I shall hunt the Mysterious Nightingale," Dusk muttered.

"Before you do so, you will need further training to know of her raid patterns and in time learn to capture her without killing the human."

"You… you intend for me to bring her to you alive?" Dusk realized the situation was far different from his other missions.

"Yes, she's a captivating spirit and I am eager to have her for my own…" Raizen smirked. "You see, there are two reasons I want her: to crush the human's rebellion and to have her as my prize."

"A prize?" Dusk repeated in confusion.

"To ensure that the strongest has something that no one else can have, it's only a fitting diamond to add to the crown," Raizen laughed darkly. The confusion did not lift from Dusk, but the overlord did not notice. "In any case, you are free to review the pictures that my men had caught glimpses of her."

A disk was thrown to Dusk's feet and he picked it up. He walked back to his quarters and stood before the computer before putting the disk inside. Images of the Mysterious Nightingale shone on the screen and his head began to ache again when he saw close-ups of her face in scared or shocked expressions.

'_Why… why does she remind me of that woman that haunts my memories?'_ Dusk fell to his knees; uncertain if he could fulfill his master's requirements or not.

Something in him wanted to protect this woman; to keep her far from Raizen's hands, but he knew if he tried, he would be killed for disobedience. That night, Dusk did not sleep very well and attempted to learn more about Raizen's objectives through the computer. Eventually, when he did finally fall asleep, he only dreamed of the woman whose was codenamed the Mysterious Nightingale and how she had a saddened look on her face even in his ever present nightmares.

_**To Be Continued…**_


	4. Haunted

**Soul's Requiem**

**Chapter 3**

The months passed and the nights grew longer for Dusk. He divided his time learning more about Raizen's plans, his race's customs and participating in nightly raids. There were times he was forced to kill people and did so silently despite the disgust he had hidden beneath the mask he wore. Every time he killed, he could had sworn the Mysterious Nightingale's saddened expression would appear somewhere from deep within the shadows. He hated seeing it and did everything he could afterwards to avoid the mirrors as well as the images of her for days in order to regain some sense of normalcy.

When he wasn't on raids or training, he found himself wandering the abandoned city to get a better feel of the area. There were times he wanted to lose himself within the maze-like surroundings. Reaching the outskirts of the city, he noticed the undeveloped lands and wondered what life actually lived there and why his master was claiming it. There were times he wanted nothing more than to explore the world, but he knew better not to go to unfamiliar lands when his master needed him pursuing the Mysterious Nightingale.

Eventually, the air began to grow colder and Raizen had handed Dusk a crimson red cape to add to the mysteriousness of his character and to provide additional warmth. The very fabric hardly shielded him from the bitter coldness that had adjusted to not only physically. If anything, the cape had only added the very coldness that resided within his darkening heart. He was also given an energy blade since the Anti-Chi fields were constructed and robbed him use of his power.

Yielding the blade within the courtyard of the ship, Dusk slashed it at the invisible foes he fought in practice. He had grown more proficient with the weapon and had a chance to try it a few times against the captured humans. Despite the fact that he preferred energy blasts, Raizen had reminded him that there would be times where using such a device would be preferred when he was unable to access his true power.

With the energy blade in hand, he had no choice but to learn yet another cruel method of killing and was forced to on more than one occasion to take more lives using such a horrid object.

* * *

One afternoon, Dusk looked outside and noticed a strange white dust falling from the sky that he was unfamiliar with. Stepping outside of the ship, he felt the cold prickling sensation and wondered where such a thing came from. He noted that it left footprints in its surface; confusing him further.

'_What is this falling from the sky so white? I had only seen rain, but not this…'_ Dusk quizzically and experimentally touched this wet stuff that accumulated on the ground all around him. It bunched up in his hand and he questioned what he could do with it.

"_**Dusk, stop playing in the snow and come up on the bridge,"**_ Raizen's voice yelled from the intercom; jarring the masked man out of his examination of the strange substance.

"On my way," Dusk answered before walking back inside; unsure of what his master wanted.

* * *

The bridge was completely dark with the exception of a single light shining down from the ceiling. He walked into this light and knelt down in both respect and loyalty. Moments later, total darkness coveted the area, but Dusk remained where he was; squishing back the fear that attempted to overwhelm his body. There were nights that he still felt suffocated in the pitch darkness and he wanted nothing more than the lights to come back on and reassure him that everything was alright.

"_**Good evening Dusk,"**_ Raizen's voice spoke from the speaker above his head. "_**Are you ready for tonight's mission?" **_The masked figure merely nodded, still fighting the trepidation that was running through his veins. "_**Good. Tonight, you are to ambush the Mysterious Nightingale inside of an old cathedral. She'll believe there are humans hiding in that area thanks to Milton doing the dirty work for us."**_

"If that is what Lord Raizen asks, I shall obey," Dusk answered before standing up.

"_**Excellent. I expect that you carry out your mission and see to it that she fails to escape."**_

'_I hope tonight, I will be able to fulfill my mission,'_ Dusk thought. He pushed the saddened looks of the woman he had grown to know to the back of his mind. He had work to do and knew not to disobey or he would suffer the consequences.

* * *

The air was cold and Dusk flew to prevent his feet from leaving any traces of his presence upon the ground. He had learned through trial and error that the slightest disturbance would cause it to collapse; therefore, he hovered slightly over it and regulated the control of his chi to ensure that it would not leave a single trace of his path. The old cathedral that was the Mysterious Nightingale's target for the evening stood before him.

The sounds of footsteps were heard crunching through the snow and he dove into a side entrance to ensure that he was not spotted. He walked up the darkened staircase cast within the waning moonlight to the main area of the cathedral. He noted that within the candlelit area that the traps were resting upon the pews and hid behind one of the pillars when the heavy door creaked open.

Within the dim burning candlelight, he saw the Mysterious Nightingale walk cautiously through the debris of broken glass and rubble towards one of the disguised bundles to lead the female into the trap of Raizen's choosing. She lifted one of the blankets and realized the error too late and prepared to let her companions know when Dusk shot at the device upon her ear. She threw it off as the device crackled and sizzled upon the ground.

"I don't think so," Dusk spoke to the Mysterious Nightingale while stepping out from behind the pillar with a cold gaze in his eyes.

"Did you set up this trap?" the Mysterious Nightingale questioned angrily while sliding into a fighting stance. Dusk saw the futility of her plans to defend herself and noted the horrid stance would do poorly against a fighter of his caliber. "And are you Dusk, the Nightingale Hunter I heard about?"

"No and yes to your questions," Dusk vaguely answered before he lunged at the earthen woman. She defended herself and traded punches and kicks against the masked fighter. Despite her size and physique, she was stronger than she made herself out to be. In a way, Dusk was pleased in this concept, but he knew that she did not stand a chance in the long run.

Both fighters, one serving an overlord who wanted her and the other who was fighting against the ruler's cruelty in order to preserve humanity, fought wildly against one another within the flickering candlelight. The Mysterious Nightingale threw a punch at Dusk's masked face; however, he evaded and caught her ankle. She was pulled to the ground, but used the momentum to kick him in the gut; forcing him over her head.

'_She's good…'_ Dusk thought to himself. _'Shame I have to capture her and bring her to my master's feet…'_

Dusk lunged towards the Mysterious Nightingale again as she jumped over him and slid across the ground. Dusk fired a blast; however, she evaded while it crashed into a pew. He continued firing blasts while she continued to weave through his assault and delivered a kick to his side. He caught her leg and pulled her closer; however, she was quick to push him away and did a few back springs before another blast came at her.

The blast caused the earth to quake and the Mysterious Nightingale lost her footing from the ground caving slightly. Dusk took advantage of this minor distraction and delivered a punch to her gut. She was forced against the wall to recompose herself. She spat something to the ground that Dusk quickly assumed was blood mixed with what food she had eaten before coming here. The Mysterious Nightingale's breaths were ragged from the last attack he had delivered and a part of him was surprised that she was still willing to put up a fight after the blow he delivered.

"Are you truly the famous Mysterious Nightingale I heard so much about?" Dusk scoffed at her pitiful attempts to fight. "Your fighting style is pitiful."

No sooner did Dusk say these words, she fired her own blast at him, surprising the skilled warrior.

"Still think my fighting style's pitiful?" the Mysterious Nightingale mocked Dusk in a teasing way. For the oddest reason, he found that the way she defied him to be comical.

"Not bad, but not good either," Dusk countered and prepared to punch her. She closed her eyes and for a fleeting moment, he noted the panicked fear on her face and a part of him hesitated when he felt like something wasn't right. For an odd reason, he couldn't bring himself to hit her in the face. He ended up pulling the punch; unsure what this feeling was welling up in his gut. _'I need to capture her, but then why… why does this feel so wrong? Why do I feel like I should let her go so my master doesn't get her?'_

'_**Capture her!'**_

'_No… not tonight… not yet…'_

Angrily, he turned away from her and flew upwards. When the blow did not follow through, the Mysterious Nightingale looked around before she spotted him before the broken window of the cathedral.

"Why did you stop?" the Mysterious Nightingale questioned.

"Unlike you simpleton, my honor does not believe in defeating you when you are not at your best," Dusk cryptically answered. "Until you grow stronger, our duel has been postponed." Without another word, he melted into the darkness; leaving his foe to contend to another day.

* * *

That night, Dusk dragged himself into his quarters bloody from the punishment he had received from defying Raizen's orders. He limped to the bathroom and set the blood covered mask on the sink before stripping out of his red armor and black spandex. Stepping into the shower, he leaned his forehead against the cool shower wall while he thought back to the anger and fear that the Mysterious Nightingale had in her eyes during that fight that they had.

'_What made me hesitate back there?'_ Dusk thought. _'Why does she affect me like this when normally, I would follow Raizen's orders without question?'_

A heavy sigh escaped his lungs before he realized the water was growing colder. His eyes snapped open in frustration and he began to wash away the blood that stained his skin from the open wounds he sustained from his latest punishment. He had to tend to himself since the women that would normally do so were refrained from assisting him. According to Raizen, he had disobeyed and was being reprimanded for his actions of letting the Mysterious Nightingale go when he wanted her desperately. So why then did he feel better knowing she was safe?

'_Who are you Mysterious Nightingale? Why is it I feel this way when I see you?'_ Dusk thought while stepping out of the shower and going into the cabinet to find the bandages.

Finding the bandages, he wrapped his torso to ensure that the bleeding stopped. When he looked in the mirror, once again, he saw the man he could not face. The man had a broken expression and a haunted look in his eyes. Taking the mask, he rinsed it off from his blood and sweat that drenched the object. Carefully, he put it on his face before he would dare open his eyes again. The very object shielded him from seeing the full picture of his torment; his eyes the only sign of the pain reflected that he could easily ignore without much effort.

Walking back to his room, he walked towards his bed that lay near the corner of the room. Carelessly, his back hit the mattress despite the stinging pain. He laid there while he stared at the ceiling for a few moments before closing his eyes.

Right now, Dusk didn't bother to dress at all since he preferred the sheets touching his bare skin over the uniform that made him feel dirty every single time he wore it. The thought of killing the humans, fighting against the Mysterious Nightingale and ruining what means they have to survive seemed wrong and for once, he began to question his master's motives.

'_Why must I do this to ensure that they submit themselves to Lord Raizen? I still don't understand…'_ Dusk thought before he fell into another round of nightmares of the woman whose name he only knew as the Mysterious Nightingale.

* * *

"Mom, it's not your fault…" Gohan pleaded while the female sat in her hammock crying sorrowfully.

"Yes it is… I should have been more prepared before I lead you all there… because of me, Krillin died…" Chi-chi muttered from the pillow that rested in her hammock. "I could have prevented it if we never left…"

"Mom… Krillin's found peace… he's back with his family now…" Gohan reassured.

A sob escaped Chi-chi's throat. Gohan realized he said the wrong thing and walked away from his mother; to let her grieve for what happened that night.

'_I wish I was stronger… I wish Goku was here…'_ Chi-chi thought morbidly before she fell asleep; the tears running down her cheeks even while entrapped in the nightmares that plagued her each night.

* * *

In the middle of the night, Dusk had awoken from one of his most vivid nightmares to date: he saw the Mysterious Nightingale dead at his own hands all bloody and broken just like the many victims he had murdered before. He felt sick and looked up at the ceiling; wishing that the darkness around him would just disappear. The only hint of light that gave him comfort was the bathroom light he left on. It seemed childish, but that light was his only source of maintaining his otherwise dwindling sanity.

He stared at his open hands that shook with such terror of the thought of murdering the woman that haunted his nightmares and thoughts with every breath he took. He felt a hint of shame for even touching her earlier let alone goad into an unfair fight.

'_Why?'_ Dusk thought; his fingers threading through his unruly hair. _'Why do I hesitate when I see her? What is this feeling and why do I feel like defying my master to ensure her safety?'_

The door hissed open and Dusk saw one of the enslaved women enter his room. She silently closed the gap between him and the door and knelt down at his bedside.

"My master would be displeased to see you disobeying his orders," Dusk spoke curtly.

"I don't care. I am loyal to you Lord Dusk," The female spoke softly before she moved closer to tend to his wounds. Dusk had many servants in the past few months, but this one who he fondly called Cassie had not strayed from his side in the worst nights. She had shoulder-length blonde hair and looked like she was in her early thirties. Like the other slaves, she was fed very little and it was a miracle she was able to survive in the harsh conditions she faced.

"Such stubborn loyalty will only get you killed one day Cas," Dusk affectionately warned the woman that re-wrapped the bandages he attempted to put on himself earlier.

"When that does happen, I will be reunited with my darling angel," Cassie confirmed sadly. "I still miss her."

Dusk said nothing and only recalled that before Cassie's imprisonment, she worked at a café to support her infant daughter due to her boyfriend breaking her heart and cheating on her with another woman. The man ended up dying along with the woman that ruined Cassie's life, but she knew he did not deserve what had happened nor did she deserve to lose her daughter in the aftermath.

"Do you have anyone you miss Lord Dusk?" Cassie questioned.

"No," Dusk answered briskly. "I doubt there is anyone out there that would miss me either."

Cassie finished treating Dusk's wounds. "I suppose we are in the same boat then. We both have no one to call family or anyone that remembers we are still here."

"It is better they didn't know," Dusk sighed in irritation. "I wouldn't want anyone to know that I dislike murdering the humans just to appease my master."

"You have to though," Cassie reminded. "Just as I have to take care of you and ensure that you are healthy for him."

Dusk said nothing. Cassie drew closer to him and gently leaned against his back in a soothing way.

"Do you want me to stay this evening my lord?" Cassie questioned. "I can offer you comfort to soothe away any nightmares that you may have."

"No, off with you," Dusk growled. Cassie moved away from the man before realizing she had overstepped her boundaries.

"I did not mean in…"

"I said go," Dusk spoke louder; not wanting to hear her excuses. The female retreated and once more, the soldier found himself alone in his own thoughts. He laid himself back down and closed his eyes.

'_I deserve no comfort… let alone no one to share my true feelings with…'_ Dusk thought morbidly before he drifted off to sleep once more.

_**To Be Continued…**_


	5. A Sweet Gesture and a Bitter Lie

**Soul's Requiem**

**Chapter 4**

A week passed before Dusk recovered fully from his wounds like they never happened in the first place. He had no idea why he recovered so fast, but honestly, he did not really care. He was reassigned for two weeks to lookout since Raizen was still under the impression that he needed time to recover from the injuries he sustained. Dusk said nothing about his fast recovery to his master, nor did he even bring it up while he was given the dull task.

Now, on top of a rooftop, he watched the very shadows for movement before noting the Mysterious Nightingale run by him. At first, he was tempted to follow the footprints she had left in the snow and find the hideout, but truth be told, he had decided against it. He was suddenly curious of where she was heading off to in a hurry and why she was going alone on a night like this. He decided to disobey his orders and pursue the Mysterious Nightingale's fleeing form to find out what she was up to that evening.

'_So, you're on the move again Mysterious Nightingale,'_ Dusk thought while he followed her silently. _'What is it that you seek tonight?'_

Dusk followed her to an open area outside of the city that he had never actually visited before. He watched her kneel down and grab something and remained overhead to see what she was doing. He came to realize that the objects she grabbed were eggs, but to what purpose was she gathering them? She pulled out another object and walked into a barn. Silently, Dusk landed and peered inside.

'_Is she planning to make something with these things she's gathering?'_ Dusk watched her get milk from a cow. He quickly hid when she was finished and turned to walk out of the barn. If he had been a second slower, he would have been seen and would have no choice but to fight her. '_What is it that she's doing? Why does she need these things from these animals?'_

"Mmm… need mix…" the woman muttered.

'_What are you up to Mysterious Nightingale?'_ Dusk thought suspiciously; his eyes narrowed while he continued to tail her silently back into the city.

* * *

Dusk continued to follow the Mysterious Nightingale while she walked into one of the abandoned stores that were still standing. He watched her vanish down one of the aisles and followed rather cautiously. He saw her examining the boxes and made a move to leave when his energy blade knocked down a can that alerted her of his presence. She ran towards him while he blocked her way; the startled look in her eyes pleading for him to do something.

"Move! Please! I don't have time to…" the Mysterious Nightingale begged. Dusk noted how she trembled from both the cold and the fear of him doing his job.

"Wait… I am not here to fight you… I was wondering what you were doing…" Dusk questioned.

"I was gathering items to make a cake," the Mysterious Nightingale replied.

"Cake? What is this 'cake' you want to make?" Dusk asked.

"Well, it's a form of dessert…" the Mysterious Nightingale began.

"I guess that's why you needed those items from the animals…" Dusk interrupted.

"How long were you…?" Dusk suddenly felt an approaching energy signal and covered the Mysterious Nightingale's mouth. He pulled her closer to his body to conceal her against his larger form.

"Have you seen any signs of the Mysterious Nightingale?" the soldier called out to Dusk while he stood within the store with the woman pressed against his body. The light that had shone from the doorway only showed his shadow thankfully.

"I hadn't seen her," Dusk yelled back in an irritated voice; lying for the Mysterious Nightingale's sake at the moment.

"Why are you not at your assigned post?" the soldier questioned; a hint of suspicion in his voice.

"Do you assume she may have taken another route tonight? Dusk countered with high authority. If this soldier did question him, he may have to kill him in order to keep the woman in his arms safe.

"You… you're right… my apologizes Lord Dusk…" the soldier muttered and the light was pulled away from him while the footsteps retreated. Dusk pulled his hand away from the Mysterious Nightingale's mouth as her breathing came in heavy gasps. She was trembling worse than she was minutes ago when she was discovered by Dusk.

"Why didn't you just let him know I was here?" the Mysterious Nightingale questioned in a hushed whisper.

"I couldn't turn you in if you were going to make this 'cake' for someone…" Dusk spoke in a soft tone. "Besides, where's the honor in that?"

"Mmm…" the Nightingale Hunter seemed uncertain if he was doing this for her sake or not, but at the moment, she had no choice but to trust him. "Do you know where a kitchen is?"

"I do, but you will have to trust me a little bit longer…" Dusk muttered. "Stay here."

Dusk walked outside and sneaking up behind the soldier, he knocked the man out that had merely questioned him only moments before and dragged his unconscious body into the abandoned store. He unclothed the soldier of his armor and locked him in the back room. He handed the soldier's armor to the Mysterious Nightingale who only looked at Dusk and then at the uniform in utter shock.

"You want me to wear this?" the Mysterious Nightingale nearly yelled at him.

"You need to if you want to make that cake…" Dusk explained calmly. He had no idea why this offended her, but he knew that he did not have much time to waste before the other soldiers noticed there was one less on the streets. "The only kitchen I know is on Raizen's ship."

"Fine, but if this is a trick…" the Mysterious Nightingale muttered before sliding the soldier's uniform over her body. Dusk had to agree that this was a horrible idea, but a part of him wanted to ensure that whoever she was making the cake for would find happiness.

'_I hope I'm doing the right thing…'_ Dusk waited until she got her helmet on. "We need to disguise your basket…"

"My basket?" the Mysterious Nightingale questioned.

"Raizen has seen you carry it a lot on your raids," Dusk explained before noting a medium-sized box. "Put your basket in here." For once, the Mysterious Nightingale didn't argue and with the basket hidden inside of the box. Moments later, they both left the store under the cover of the night towards Raizen's ship.

The thought of taking the Mysterious Nightingale onto the ship under such a disguise was still the worst idea he could come up with. If the soldiers caught wind of who this was underneath, they wouldn't hesitate capturing her in a heartbeat. By this time, it was too late to turn back now; to drag her back into a nearby alleyway and let her once more vanish into the night.

"What is your business with this soldier Lord Dusk?" a guard questioned, suspicious of Dusk's motives.

"I am taking him into the kitchen with new food supplies in order to inspect them for Lord Raizen's liking," Dusk countered with authority in his voice. "I demand that everyone leaves the vicinity of the kitchen right away."

"But sir…" the soldier hesitated; almost though the thought of letting Dusk into the kitchen without anyone besides this soldier would be a walking disaster waiting to happen.

"Follow my orders or else!" Dusk snapped at the guard. With a nod, the soldier gave the commands for the kitchen to be entirely evacuated. Dusk walked with the Mysterious Nightingale still following him into the now empty kitchen. Not one soul was left besides him and the Mysterious Nightingale; therefore, Dusk took that moment to lock the doors to keep it that way for the time being.

Now alone in the kitchen with the woman who Raizen himself desired for an unknown reason, Dusk sighed in both frustration and anger while sitting down at the counter on a stool that the cooks normally used. The Mysterious Nightingale removed the helmet that obscured her face and began to work on her task. The very room was quiet besides the soft humming of a melody that the human knew of. Dusk laid his head on the counter while the woman pulled a worn cooking pan from the basket and filled it with the substance that she mixed together before putting the very object into the oven.

The minutes seemed to drag on forever and for once, Dusk would have gladly traded this moment to be doing the mundane idea of keeping watch. The timer on the oven seemed to take forever to count down and the masked soldier was half-worried that Raizen himself may attempt to override the locks and break into the kitchen. Perhaps fate was with him that night since the doors remained firmly locked and before he knew it, fifteen minutes was left until the cake was finished.

"How long were you serving Raizen?" the Mysterious Nightingale questioned; breaking the tense silence.

"Not long," Dusk muttered. He really didn't recall when he started serving him since the months seemed to blur together.

"You must get lonely doing it," the Mysterious Nightingale looked at him with a saddened expression.

"Not really," Dusk raised his head. "Every other day, I am sent to kill you humans for not giving into Raizen's orders."

"Do you ever hesitate killing anyone?" Dusk was thankful for the mask since it hid truth from her. He was honestly mortified, but he would never admit it to her.

"No, why do you say that?" he snapped angrily. Yet, the Mysterious Nightingale only got more curious of the masked stranger before her.

"Did he ever order you to kill me?" Dusk was caught off-guard by her question.

"No, he wants you to make the other humans give up hope. If he wanted that, I should just kill you."

"Then what's keeping you from doing so?" the Mysterious Nightingale asked.

"My orders from Lord Raizen himself…" Dusk realized that she had gotten closer and more daring. This was unlike their first encounter and for a fleeting moment, he wondered why he let her into his personal space.

"Why do you wear such a dark mask?" the Mysterious Nightingale questioned while touching the cold mask that easily harbored his true emotions underneath. "Why do you hide your identity?"

"It's none of your business," Dusk growled; annoyed by the constant questions from this strange female. The fact that he recalled a female like her cooking in a kitchen made him wonder if he actually had a past before he woke in the nightmare he was living under Raizen's constant rule.

"Well, do you happen to know of a man named Son Goku?" the Mysterious Nightingale asked next. The very name sounded both familiar and alien to Dusk, but he had no idea why this was. Again, the haunted expression from the mirror came back to him and he took several deep breaths to recollect himself.

"I never heard of anyone with that name, so stop with your stupid questions…" Dusk warned while his anger from her persistent questions had reached its limit.

"Sorry," the Mysterious Nightingale muttered before going to the oven to pull out the cake. The rich scent of chocolate filled the air and she set it down before turning it off. "Do you want some before I put this in my basket?"

"What did I just…?" Dusk started to say, but then realized that she was offering something to him that not even Raizen would have permitted. The sweet smell made his mouth water. How could he say no to such an offer? "Wait, what about the one you made the cake for?"

"There will still be enough for him… plus, you need a reason for the supplies…" the Mysterious Nightingale suggested. She pulled out a knife from one of the drawers and cut a long portion out before setting a few pieces out on a few plates that she pulled out from one of the cabinets.

Dusk stared at the cake on the plate in question and wondered why she would risk her life and safety to do this for someone else. He pulled the mask away so only his mouth was exposed. He glanced down at the cake before taking a fork and digging it into the soft fluffy surface and allowing it into his mouth.

"Hm. Your cooking skills seem better than what I have eaten," Dusk acknowledged. "The cooks on this ship pale in comparison in what you have made."

"T-thanks…" the Mysterious Nightingale stammered; seeming rather nervous all of the sudden. Dusk realized how stupid he was complimenting his enemy of all people and continued eating the cake.

'_No, I will __**not**__ compliment the female… the Mysterious Nightingale is off limits…'_ Dusk mentally scolded himself. He finished the cake and slid the mask back into its normal position. He went over to the sink to wash off the plate and set it down before taking the other two pieces and put them in the large fridge. "You should put your cake back into the basket."

"R-right…" the Mysterious Nightingale gently put the cake inside. Before she could close the box with the basket still inside, he went into one of the cabinets to pull out a medium-sized case and put the basket inside. Moments later, he pressed a button and it capsuled into a smaller form. "Where did you get…?" The rest of the woman's question was muffled when Dusk put the helmet back on.

"Stay quiet now…" Dusk muttered. The Mysterious Nightingale nodded and tucked the capsule into the suit's glove. He led the female off of the ship and together, they walked down the dark streets.

* * *

Before dawn's morning light fell upon the city, they reached the very place where he had seen her earlier that night. Under unnatural circumstances, it felt like for a minute, the Mysterious Nightingale could trust him with anything she had to disclose with him after what transpired. She shed the soldier's uniform and threw it all inside of a nearby dumpster to conceal it in case she may need it again. Dusk did not stop her from doing it and preferred it if she never had to don such a horrid outfit ever again.

"Thank you so much Dusk…" the Mysterious Nightingale smiled softly.

"You shouldn't thank me," Dusk turned his back to her, noting that he should not get used to helping this woman. He had to ensure that she would back off from him and wouldn't put her blind trust in a man who only served Raizen. What he had to say next would be heartbreaking, but she needed to know the harsh truth; even if it meant distancing himself from her. The last thing he needed was Raizen to learn that he assisted the Mysterious Nightingale. "As for the one known as Son Goku, you can give up waiting for him to return to you. If you want to know what happened to him, he's dead."

"W-what?" the Mysterious Nightingale cried out in pure disbelief. "You're… you're lying…"

"Am I Mysterious Nightingale?" Dusk glanced back and spoke in such a cruel, despondent way that it shook the woman to her core. Tears lined her eyes as she retreated with her basket in her arms and ran into the darkened alleyway. He didn't bother to pursue her any further; knowing he had caused her more than enough pain by breaking her heart. _'In time, maybe you will find a reason to believe in what I say and leave the matter alone Mysterious Nightingale…'_

Walking out of the dark alleyway, Dusk flew back to the ship, exhaustion finally registering within his body. He didn't give a damn if Raizen would punish him for abandoning his post at that moment. He didn't care about the Mysterious Nightingale being hurt by his words. All that mattered at that moment was getting some sleep despite the nightmares that would prevent him from doing so.

* * *

After numbly handing the basket with the cake for Goten over to the boy, Chi-chi collapsed in the hammock that she usually slept in and secretly wept. Her hand reached for the little black box that she had hidden beneath the pillow and she closed her eyes.

"_Don't open it until I come back…" Goku's voice cheerfully echoed in her memories._

"_What if you don't come back?" Chi-chi's voice questioned._

"_I will… I promise…" Goku reassured._

It felt like an eternity had passed since he last said these words to her, but she knew it was almost a year ago when he made that promise before he charged at Raizen and vanished. If what Dusk said was true, her husband was gone; never to be seen again. And it was Raizen's fault this tragedy happened.

'_If only you returned…'_ Chi-chi thought before she finally opened the box. Her eyes widened when she saw a necklace with a beautiful ring on it. An extra accessory hung on the necklace; almost though she could hang anything on it. _'Goku… I'm sorry I opened the box before you returned, but I wanted closure…'_

After everyone else had fallen asleep, Chi-chi went over to the basket that held the four-star dragon ball and she gently pressed it against the holder. From now on, she would no longer carry a basket during her raids. She decided that she would find alternate ways to carry the things she needed.

* * *

Back on the ship, Dusk leaned against the wall of the shower and allowed the water to fall against his form while he felt the familiar hands washing him. His eyes were closed while Cassie did the chore in a rather mundane manner.

"Lord Dusk, you seem quiet," Cassie stated.

"It's nothing you should be concerned about," Dusk muttered.

"Are you ever going to capture the Mysterious Nightingale that our master asks for?"

"I… I'm not sure…" Dusk admitted. "I helped her earlier while it was still dark out."

"What? Why would you do that?"

"It was in a moment of weakness… she seemed more concerned about making a cake and…"

"She must have wanted someone to have a cake to celebrate a special event…"

"It's a pointless gesture…" Dusk stated. "Making a cake to celebrate any event does not hold any special meaning…"

"Maybe the Mysterious Nightingale had someone she loves and wanted to show it through making something he or she might like."

"Pointless really," Dusk's gaze fell upon Cassie. "Are you almost finished?"

"Just about," Cassie knelt down and scrubbed his feet before the water rinsed the suds away. She stood back up and went to grab a towel after she turned off the shower. She began the process of drying him off slowly while he went back to thinking of the cake.

'_I wonder if who she made the cake for was really someone she 'loved' or if she made it to indulge in herself…'_ Dusk thought silently to himself. He almost wished he could have another slice of the chocolate cake, but knew he should not indulge himself with such luxuries. After all, he was fortunate that Raizen did not punish him for forcing the kitchen to be vacated earlier and that he only got off with a warning to never do it again.

Cassie finished drying him off and stepped back. "Do you need anything else this evening Lord Dusk?"

"No, you are dismissed," Dusk waved her off. She bowed politely before he was left alone. He grabbed the mask and clothes left behind before dressing. Standing before the mirror, he examined himself while fondly touching the reflection without his mask on. _'Did anyone ever love me for who I was? For whom I used to be?'_

Such musings were never answered as usual and Dusk forced the mask back on before going into his quarters and sinking in the large bed. As usual when he closed his eyes, he was greeted again by the Mysterious Nightingale, only this time, his dreams turned colder with him holding her lifeless body against his while trying to hide her from the very world. It was one that would haunt him every single night afterwards; making him question his motives yet again.

_**To Be Continued…**_


	6. An Unfavorable Kiss

**Soul's Requiem**

**Chapter 5**

A couple weeks passed and Dusk found himself training with his energy weapon while the blizzard outside kept the men from venturing out into the city. The food supplies dwindled somewhat due to the appetite that Dusk always had and despite his rations being halved, he still ate more than the other soldiers. Eventually, the snow had stalled long enough to prepare for yet another raid; a raid that would be used both as a chance to lure out the Mysterious Nightingale and secure the food that they needed to restock their supplies.

"_**Milton, tell the humans that we plan to have carts and explain everything about them to them so they can come prepared with the Mysterious Nightingale,"**_ Raizen's voice echoed with a sadist glee that Dusk could not really agree with.

"Oh, of course Lord Raizen!" the cowardly Milton grinned before walking down the hallways to leave the ship.

'_Why does Lord Raizen even put up with that little weasel?'_ Dusk thought while putting his energy weapon away.

"_**As for you Dusk, I want your full cooperation on this mission,"**_ Raizen demanded.

"Of course Lord Raizen," Dusk nodded.

"_**Don't fail me,"**_ the overlord warned.

* * *

Dusk followed the caravans rather bored while they raided the warehouses. The soldiers attached security devices on the food and barked orders that he could care less about when he saw something in the warehouse that made him pause. He walked inside and picked up a small black box as he fell to his knees; another fragmented memory coming to mind.

_He saw the Mysterious Nightingale once again with tears in her eyes clinging to him and he saw himself holding the box and handing it to her silently. He saw himself lean in and press his lips against hers; the very warmth echoing throughout his frame before he pulled away. Moments later, he flew off towards the ship and saw Raizen face twisted in pure glee…_

"…Dusk?" a soldier's voice called him back from the strange memory he had and the masked man glanced at the box in question again before getting up.

"It's… it's nothing…" Dusk hissed. "Just a stupid migraine…"

"Well, we have all of the food we need," the soldier reported. "We should head back to the ship."

"Before we go, let's burn this warehouse to ensure that no one else gets what is inside," Dusk commanded. He didn't release the box since it had triggered something; what, he couldn't say, but it was still important. He slid the small object into one of the pouches and made a note to examine the contents inside later on.

* * *

Floating overhead within the fog, Dusk watched out for any signs of the group that would accompany the Mysterious Nightingale on her missions. He wasn't disappointed when he saw her heading for the car at the back of the caravan and swooped down to prepare for his assault. When the alarms went off, the soldiers immediately stopped the caravan and surrounded her.

'_Time to go after her…'_ Dusk smirked from behind his mask. While the other's energy blasts did nothing, the one he sent through the roof of the car easily pierced the armor and he descended from the sky; catching sight of the fighters that accompanied her. "If any one of you attempts to interfere, your lives are at forfeit…" Landing inside, Dusk saw that the Mysterious Nightingale was already captured.

"Let go of me!" she cried out.

"Our orders are to…" a soldier started.

"And I'm the one in charge of this mission," Dusk interrupted. "The lady says she wants to be released, so let her go."

"Sir…" the soldier was instantly killed by Dusk's energy blast and the others backed off; fearful of his wrath.

"Anyone else want to challenge my authority?" Dusk growled at them. None dared to question him and he slid into a fighting stance. "Mysterious Nightingale, I wish to fight you."

"Now?" the Mysterious Nightingale questioned while the other soldiers were standing nearby.

"They will not intervene again…" Dusk promised.

"They won't, but I will!" a voice called from above and Dusk found himself defending himself against a golden-haired male that attempted to rescue the female he wished to fight. Quickly, he knocked him out; the golden hair changing back into dark locks.

'_What in the world? Did his hair just change shades?'_ Dusk thought silently to himself.

"Vegeta! No!" the Mysterious Nightingale would have gone to his aid, but Dusk got in the way.

"He will live, but only if you fight me," Dusk promised. The look on her face did not change in the slightest as she slid into a fighting stance. _'Mysterious Nightingale? Why do you protect these humans? Why can't you just give into the inevitable?''_

Silently, the Mysterious Nightingale lunged at Dusk as the two traded blows similar to their first fight. A part of him was grateful that she improved, but another side of him that saw her baking the cake two weeks prior yearned for him to stop fighting her. He had hurt her feelings when he told her that her that Son Goku was dead, but he had no idea who he was and why he is important to her. He even hesitated telling her anything about this man.

The cart was perhaps the worst place to conduct another duel and he had wished he had planned to fight her in a better place than this. The cathedral, while enclosed, was an easier battlefield compared to the closed quarters and objects that were littered around the sides and grounds. He noted how thin she had gotten since he had last laid eyes on her. He also realized that she too was starving due to the winter's horrid conditions and the rations that he and the soldiers had ruined to ensure their survival. A part of him didn't like it; that she was slowly wasting away trying to protect those that couldn't support themselves in anyway.

"Why?" Dusk finally broke the silence between them while throwing a fist at the Mysterious Nightingale's chest. She veered to the side to avoid the blow.

"Why what?" the Mysterious Nightingale questioned while kicking his side.

"Why do you provide them food and medicine when they will all just perish?" Dusk growled.

"It gives them hope in these dark times," the Mysterious Nightingale answered while throwing a fist into his shoulder. He didn't budge and he lunged forward; his right leg wrapping around her left one and throwing her off-balance. She fought to get him off; however, he straddled her waist with his body and pinned her to the ground.

"Your efforts are in vain…" Dusk spoke. The Mysterious Nightingale threw her hands towards him; however, he pinned both of them with one of his. "They deserve to perish if they do nothing to contribute to your survival…"

"Let go of me!" the Mysterious Nightingale struggled angrily.

"I refuse," the Nightingale Hunter drew closer.

"You… you bastard! I won't let you rape me!" the female hissed.

"No, I want to see something if you will allow me…" Dusk muttered. He pushed the mask so only his lips were visible and before she could do anything about it, he leaned down and kissed her. She froze beneath his form; tense and rigid while his tongue entered her mouth.

It was then he saw her memories and saw the image of himself that he had seen without the mask. He felt her squirm slightly beneath her while he continued reading her memories of how she survived the months before he came into the picture. He saw where she and the others were hiding, the numerous attempts the soldiers had on her life, the early mornings where she would cry while everyone was fast asleep and even the injuries she sustained.

The sensation of his lips against hers felt shallow compared to what he vaguely remembered and he realized why: she wasn't returning it due to her struggles. After a few more moments, he pulled away, slid the mask back into place and looked down at her in an intimidating manner. Thankfully, she could not see both pity and frustration he hid easily from her. If there was a way he could persuade her to abandon the other humans, he would pursue it, but her pride wouldn't allow such a thing.

"What the hell was that?" the Mysterious Nightingale questioned angrily.

"I did it to find out why you are keeping those humans from dying," Dusk spoke in a cold-hearted tone. If he wasn't wearing the mask, she would have seen through the tough act. He released her and moments later, she climbed to her feet shaking with both anger and embarrassment. "You are a fool if you are keeping them from death…"

"What are you saying? That I should just give up on them and let them die?" the Mysterious Nightingale questioned clearly upset at the man for taking advantage of her.

"Yes, they're not worth saving… not even the dragon balls will be able to restore all of their lives…" Dusk spat angrily. "Heed my advice and save only yourself and those you care about."

Turning on heel, Dusk left, the soldiers following their appointed leader with a silent command and leaving the despondent woman alone to her own dilemma.

* * *

Later that evening in the debriefing room on board the ship, Dusk knelt down on the floor; his head downcast in respect.

"Lord Raizen, I have discovered the whereabouts of their base," Dusk confirmed. "Shall I upload them?"

"_**Yes, but before that, there are two commands I want you to obey…"**_ Raizen's voice spoke with warning, but Dusk did not catch it.

"What of it?" Dusk questioned before pain suddenly laced his neck. He clutched it while the electric shock emitted from the chip before it stopped as fast as it came. Breathing hard, Dusk found himself barely conscious and struggling not to pass out.

"_**First, I want you to stop being so diplomatic to the human scum and allow them to escape,"**_ Raizen spoke with irritation clearly in his voice. _**"Second, you are to bring me the Mysterious Nightingale without fail. I don't know why you allow her to escape, but do so again and I will not hesitate to consider you a traitor to our cause."**_

Dusk breathed angrily, for a fleeting moment, his eyes glowed red from beneath the mask before it faded away. "As you wish Lord Raizen. The Mysterious Nightingale will be at your feet the next time I go out."

"_**I expect nothing less from you,"**_ Raizen's voice echoed. Dusk rose to his feet shaken, but knew his objective. He suppressed a growl from escaping his throat and knew that he had no choice but to give him what he wanted despite his wishes of her never ending up in that bastard's hands.

'_Forgive me Mysterious Nightingale, but my master cannot wait any longer. I must acquire you and I know just how to do it…'_ Dusk mentally promised before he left the bridge. He walked back to his room to see Cassie there.

"Lord Dusk, are you alright?" Cassie questioned.

"No, but it's to be expected right?" Dusk shrugged his shoulders.

"You still haven't captured the Mysterious Nightingale for master yet have you?"

"I didn't want to," Dusk stated.

"He'll kill you…"

"I know that Cas! I just… every time I fall asleep, I see her in my nightmares. I want nothing more than to keep her from my master's hands, but he insists that he wants her for something. I just don't know what though and I'm afraid…"

"Afraid he might murder her?"

"No, I'm afraid he might do something worse than that…" Dusk collapsed on the bed with his back against the mattress. For once, he didn't care if he was soiling the sheets with blood, dirt and sweat since Cassie would change them regardless.

"My lord, why are you concerned of the well-being of one human when you had murdered millions?" Cassie questioned and sat next to him before gently taking his hand into hers.

"I… I don't know…" Dusk muttered. He gently grasped her hand while she pulled it closer to her chest. It wasn't in a sexual way; rather, she was attempting to show him something he was merely too blind to see due to the way he was treated.

"What do you feel right now?"

"Confused, angry, irritated…"

"No, I mean what do you physically feel?"

"Cas…"

"You feel my heart beating right? It's proof that you and I are alive! That we are capable of emotions and I think what you are feeling right now is fear and the fact that you may lose her for some reason."

"Fear? The only thing I fear is the darkness…"

"That isn't the same as losing someone you might care about my lord. Somewhere in your heart, you have feelings for her despite the fact that you forgotten everything else. You need to remember what it is for her sake!"

"Don't you think I haven't tried to remember my past?" Dusk glared at her through the mask. Unlike all of the others, she did not flinch when he did it to her. Perhaps she had grown used to the threatening gazes he had thrown at her in the past or knew that it was only a half-hearted attempt to dissuade her to press on further with her reasoning.

"My lord… I know it is none of my business to advise you, but you should protect her if you truly care about her." Cassie confided with him.

"I am going to take a shower alone tonight," Dusk spoke tersely and sat up, pulling his hand from hers. "I fear that what my master has in store for me if I fail again will be much worse than the darkness."

"Lord Dusk," Cassie called out to his retreating form, "remember what I said and do what you feel is the right thing."

Dusk heard the door slide open and shut before removing his outfit. Now alone at his own devises, he undressed before stepping into the stall and turning on the water.

'_I don't care about anyone, not even the Mysterious Nightingale…'_ Dusk thought to himself while reaching for the bar of soap. It slipped from his hand and he bent over to reach for it when the memory of kissing the female came back.

The thought of his lips being connected to hers in such an intimate way made him stop his pursuit for the soap momentarily. He touched the area that had experienced something different from what he went through under Raizen. For a moment, he wondered if he would ever get a chance to do it ever again with someone that he cared about.

'_No, I shouldn't think of her like that…'_ Dusk mentally scolded himself before reaching for the soap again. _'It's not in my place to pursue her like that…'_

'_**Why are you denying yourself of something different?'**_

'_Because I would be punished for it…'_

'_**You don't know that. You should try kissing her again and…'**_

'_No,'_ Dusk groaned before banging his head against the wall; cracking the tile slightly from the impact. Cursing, he went back to washing. _'I don't __**care**__ about her… she's my objective, not someone I would see myself wanting to know better…'_

* * *

Chi-chi's lips still tingled where Dusk had kissed her roughly what felt like seconds ago when it was in reality a few hours later. Immediately upon returning into the sewers, she found her way to the hammock which was her only sanctuary from everyone's questioning gazes. She touched her lips softly; feeling guilt for allowing another man to kiss her in such a way that felt horribly wrong. She felt like she was powerless to fight back.

'_Goku's probably disgusted at the thought of me being kissed by another man…'_ Chi-chi felt the tears stinging her eyes. She wanted to find a hole and hide in it for not being able to push Dusk away and prevent it from happening.

Nearby, Vegeta sat contemplating what had happened earlier when he had attempted to ambush Dusk and felt frustrated and powerless.

'_I could have taken him down if I wasn't so blasted hungry,'_ Vegeta hissed angrily. His stomach protested from the lack of nutrition it was unable to receive. Their food supplies were dwindling and at that moment, Chi-chi was beside herself. "Harpy, let's go. We still need food and dawn is fast approaching."

"I'm not going," Chi-chi muttered. At that moment, she didn't feel like going out and finding food since she was depressed.

"This isn't the time to feel sorry for yourself," Vegeta snapped. He wanted to salvage what he could in the early twilight hours. "Your sons, everyone here and even I need food, so let's go."

"If you really want to find food, go find it yourself!" Chi-chi yelled in an irritated manner.

"Damn it woman! You're the only one here who knows where these storehouses and all of that shit!" Vegeta matched her pitch. The others that were merely dozing were alert to the squabble between the Mysterious Nightingale and Saiya-jin prince and did nothing but watch; silently praying that their actions did not bring any calamity upon their sanctuary underground.

"And whose fault is that again?" Chi-chi countered, reminding him of how he was easily batted to the ground without much effort.

"It's not my fault I couldn't protect you back there when that masked freak was practically raping your mouth with his!"

Chi-chi felt fresh tears spring to her eyes as the memory of that forced kiss came back to her without warning. She rolled over angrily to face Vegeta and cried out, "Just leave me alone you fucking prick!"

The words left her mouth before she could realize what she said. Guilt filled Chi-chi's conscience and she knew under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have resorted to such vulgar language. Did the time she spend amongst those who were helpless and oppressed ruin the ideals she once honored and cherished?

"Fine, go ahead and cry you stupid bitch. Kakarrot's probably rolling in his grave right now and you're here crying over some trivial thing that matters less than us starving. Just remember that there are more important things to worry about…"

Chi-chi heard Vegeta storm off rather angrily while she turned and faced the darkness once more. The tears continued to flow from her eyes and she squeezed them shut; wishing for a moment that she had died when the invasion started.

'_Even if we did ever find a way to bring him and everyone else back, I doubt he'd forgive me for being treated in such a vulgar manner…'_ Chi-chi thought silently in her own grief. She had cried herself to sleep many a night since this nightmarish hell started and this too would be no different as the exhaustion quickly caught up to her. As she fell once more into the nightmares that plague her during her slumber, the others who had watched had went about their own ways; quickly putting behind the many arguments that would draw their attention for a short span of time.

* * *

Dusk soon returned to his room and noticed that the sheets had not been changed since his shower and mentally cursed before reminding himself that he had dismissed Cassie much sooner than usual. Stripping the mattress himself, he threw the sheets in a crumpled mess upon the floor and lay down on the bear object. He closed his eyes, but could not sleep despite feeling exhausted. The words she said still bothered him and he had no idea why.

'_Why am I bothered about what she said?'_ Dusk thought while trying to make himself comfortable enough to fall asleep. It eluded him and the words just continued to echo through his mind like a record.

Groaning in frustration, he sat up and reached for the box that sat inside of his belt. Slowly, he opened it to find nothing inside. Apparently, it seemed like someone had stolen what was inside of it sometime ago and he seemed disappointed.

'_Well, guess such a sentiment isn't going to be found anywhere in this damn world…'_ Dusk released the box that fell to the ground with a thump. Why did he expect some sort of hidden treasure to fall in his lap in the first place?

The light suddenly went out in the doorway leading to the bathroom and Dusk suddenly felt paralyzed by fear. His breathing became ragged while he sought for light. It was similar to the situation he was in after getting punished the last time. The bile burned the back of his throat and he heard the screams echoing in his ears while he sought to find something to anchor his waning psyche.

"My lord…" Cassie's voice spoke and he turned to see a faint light being held in her hands. "Are you alright?"

"What the hell just happened?" Dusk sneered while he began to recollect himself.

"Another power outage… do you wish for me to stay until the power is restored?"

"I… yes…" Dusk made room on his bed and Cassie sat beside him.

"You still fear the dark don't you my lord?"

"I do. It brings back bitter memories…"

"Yet your name is that of darkness," Cassie pointed out.

"What you said earlier… about caring… does that truly exist out there?"

"It does."

"Why do I feel I lost something important?"

"You probably have, but I feel that in time, you will remember your past…" Cassie snuggled closer to Dusk.

"Who was I before all of this started?" Dusk spoke almost in a whisper. It went unanswered and he looked and noticed that his servant had fallen asleep.

Rolling his eyes, Dusk gently lifted her up before laying her down on his bed before laying down next to her. The female made a bad habit sometimes falling asleep in his presence. He moved far enough away from her and closed his eyes. At least he had a valid excuse now of why he sleep so poorly.

_**To Be Continued…**_


	7. Imprisoned by Hatred

**Soul's Requiem**

**Chapter 6**

Dusk landed on the roof above the location of where the rebel's hideout was. Glancing down at the area, he suddenly felt hundreds of life forces shifting beneath his feet. How did he not feel this before? He knew for certain that most of them were likely asleep and concentrated. He searched for the Mysterious Nightingale's own life force and easily penetrated her mind while she dreamed.

'_Such a sappy dream…'_ Dusk thought. _'I think I know how to shake things up a bit…'_

* * *

"_I don't know what to say," the Mysterious Nightingale cheerfully spoke with happiness in her voice. Her husband and everyone were throwing her a surprise birthday party; however, the next words she heard were not her husband's at all._

"_Surrender," Dusk spoke from behind her as he held her fast against his frame. He felt her struggle against him in futile while he clung to her body almost though he was holding the female captive in order to ensure his dominance within the dream._

"_No… I can't… not again…" the Mysterious Nightingale muttered in an agonizing tone. She saw everything play out the same way it had every single night: people dying, her husband being captured along with the other humans; being separated from loved ones that cried out in panic and confusion._

"_If you don't surrender, then perhaps those that you love, those that you care for will have to die," Dusk whispered the promise in her ear. She turned in his arms and looked right behind him to see her sons lying face down on the ground with guns aimed directly at their unconscious forms. If they were both conscious, they would be able to do something; anything to escape unscathed._

"_Please don't!" the Mysterious Nightingale pleaded loudly, but Dusk made no motion to stop them from executing her children. The guns fired and she shut her eyes in frustration before screaming in utter anguish one word that reverberated throughout the compound._

"_**NO!"**_

* * *

Pulling out of the dream, Dusk would have smiled in mirth for the torment he had brought if it was not for the slight headache he had doing so. He rarely peered into people's minds or memories and did not wish to make a habit of it, especially not for the Mysterious Nightingale.

'_Your mind is a fragile thing,'_ Dusk thought to himself about how he invaded the Mysterious Nightingale's dreams easily to torment her further. _'I could easily penetrate it and leave you utterly defenseless. In time, you will be in the master's possession like it or not.'_

"Is this the hideout of the rebels and of Mysterious Nightingale?" A voice contacted him over his communicator.

"Yes, but do not make a move as of yet," Dusk stated firmly. "We will attack when it's nightfall and there will be enough fog to conceal ourselves under."

"Affirmative. We'll wait until nightfall as you command." Dusk turned it off and noticed Milton waltzing towards the hideout with an air of confidence. Jumping off the rooftop, he landed with a crouch before the traitorous man who technically sold out his comrades.

"What are you doing here?" Dusk questioned.

"I'm here to give the warriors false news like always," Milton grinned darkly. He seemed rather cheeky about his job and didn't care who got hurt over it as long as he was well rewarded for his efforts.

"Well if that's the case, let them know this: there are children that were captured in an abandoned schoolyard by the soldiers" Dusk whispered in Milton's ear. The human chuckled darkly over such a horrid lie. "Do you think you can give it to them in a convincing way?"

"Oh yes, I can easily do that for you Lord Dusk," Milton laughed.

"Good, make sure you leave the place after you tell them the news because tonight, this place will be no more." With that, Dusk flew off to a school he saw near the edge of the city where he knew for certain the Mysterious Nightingale would come. It was the only one left standing since all of the others were razed.

* * *

Dusk had listened to the communications while waiting for the Mysterious Nightingale to appear at the courtyard of the school. He knew for certain that tonight, there would be no duel. He would merely knock out the female and drag her back to his master. It was a simple plan, right?

The iron clad gate surrounding the area creaked open and the Mysterious Nightingale walked in cautiously. Her eyes and face had a haunted expression on it due to the nightmare that Dusk contributed to. She seemed tense and Dusk noticed how jumpy she seemed. She had already made it halfway across the playground that had scattered and broken playground equipment littering the area that children once cherished.

Suddenly, an explosion rattled the area and he realized that the soldiers had bombed the Mysterious Nightingale's hideout. She turned in time to see the plume of smoke and fire that lit the heavens in bright reddish light.

"NO!" The Mysterious Nightingale cried out in panic before rushing towards the gates in which she had walked through moments ago. Dusk was faster though and blocked her from doubling back. "Get out of the way! I can't…"

"Those humans are no longer your concern," Dusk spoke in a serious tone. The Mysterious Nightingale took a step backward. "If you want your loved ones to live, you must surrender."

"What?" The Mysterious Nightingale backed up further when she heard him say what she recalled from her nightmare. "You… you're the one that messed with my dreams…"

"Guilty as charged," Dusk confessed while holding his hands up to show that he was indeed the cause of this chaos.

"I hate you…" the Mysterious Nightingale hissed angrily and she lunged for him. The recklessness would cost her and Dusk vanished before reappearing from behind her and delivering a sharp blow to the neck. She fell to the ground unconscious and Dusk noticed the snow was starting to fall again.

"Mission completed," Dusk knelt down to get the Mysterious Nightingale when he felt pain echo through his head. He buried it in his hands while the pain paralyzed his body.

'_**This is wrong!'**_

'_No, I have to…'_

'_**You have to what? Bring her to Raizen?'**_

'_It's my orders…'_

'_**Don't you ever think for yourself?'**_

'_I do…'_

'_**Then why do you let her continue to suffer like this?'**_

"This… is my master's will…" Dusk argued verbally in broken dialect; knowing the voice had no staying power on what his objective was. "I must do… what he asks… and not disobey…"

Moments later the unconscious female was in Dusk's arms and he lifted off the ground to fly off to Raizen's ship. A part of him felt guilty for betraying her while another felt almost like he should have just let her go like he had before.

'_What's done is done… it's too late to turn back now…'_

* * *

Sometime later, Dusk stood where the Mysterious Nightingale was being held captive and leaned against the wall right outside of her cell. He noted the peaceful expression on her face; one he knew held no pain or hint of suffering on it whatsoever. He almost felt like he had seen that expression once before somewhere in another place and time, but there wasn't time to be so sentimental about these things. He had to wait until she awakened before he could present her to his master.

'_**You should get her out of there…'**_

'_And how am I supposed to do that when the guards can easily barricade my escape?'_

'_**You shouldn't take her to him. He will do something bad to her.'**_

'_A little too late for that…'_

A soft moan alerted his attention and the nagging voice faded from the recesses of his mind while his eyes took on a reddish glow from behind the mask. Slowly, the Mysterious Nightingale started to come to and it took a moment for her to gain her bearings. When she did, she jolted slightly and bit back a cry of pain from the soreness that was inflicted upon her body.

"I wouldn't try sudden movements," Dusk spoke almost in a quiet manner. He had no idea why he was so concerned about her, but apparently, something had happened recently to care more about her than all of the other lives. Had he kept the killing prowess he had, there would be no doubt in his mind that he would have never even come down to the dungeon to ensure that no one else touched her.

"You… you bastard! You knocked me out!" the Mysterious Nightingale accused angrily.

"I did it because Lord Raizen feared that I was going soft." Dusk retorted in his defense. "Besides, he finds you a worthy reward after tearing this goddamned planet apart."

"You're all monsters and you took away my reason of why I protected the others! You killed them all!" Chi-chi yelled; she was in disbelief that he would keep his word to her now since he had betrayed her. "Go away! Leave me alone!"

"I cannot for I was ordered to watch over you." Dusk spoke in monotone.

"Screw your fucking orders! You already went against an honorable code!" What she said suddenly triggered a migraine that forced Dusk to double over. He was breathing hard and had no idea why these were growing more painful and frequent. He heard her footsteps drawing closer, but the bars kept them apart. "What's going on?"

"Don't worry about it," Dusk hissed in irritation. He pushed the Mysterious Nightingale away and she fell to the cold floor again. "It's not like you can do anything about it anyway."

"You want to bet?" the Mysterious Nightingale challenged her panting foe. He wanted to get out of there; away from her for some reason, but he had to obey his orders.

"Look, it's not any of your fucking concern. If I truly needed of your assistance, I would have asked you." Dusk grounded out. "However, this is something between Lord Raizen and me and _you_ cannot do _anything_ about it."

"That's because you don't trust anyone!" the Mysterious Nightingale all but shouted. Dusk was offended and wanted nothing more than to prove her wrong, but he knew deep in his heart that she was right; that he truly couldn't trust anyone, not even Raizen.

"How can I trust anyone when those that I cared about were torn away from me? I have no remorse for my actions anymore and rather die than serve another day. Sadly, Lord Raizen cannot permit me to die."

"Is there anyone left besides you that you're protecting?" the Mysterious Nightingale questioned. If anything, the way she spoke reminded him of Cassie's own conversation the night before and Dusk hissed at this accusation. Did he really have someone that cared about him? Did he really care about someone else?

"The one I protect is part of Lord Raizen's property." Dusk confessed; knowing it wouldn't matter if he said anything to her anymore. It didn't matter. Soon, she would be in his master's hands and he had no control of what would happen anymore. "I work for my master and him alone."

"Are you saying that more towards him than to yourself?" the Mysterious Nightingale reached out and touched his mask in a comforting way. He angrily turned away in order to hide the rising guilt he felt. He knew if she was this close, she would be able to see the same things Cassie could despite the mask he wore to hide his true emotions.

"Why do you bother consoling me when I have captured you Mysterious Nightingale?" Dusk asked the imprisoned female.

"Chi-chi." The name took him by surprise. He had never heard it before, but at the same time, it sounded familiar. Why though?

"What?" Dusk seemed to share a world with her at the moment. He wanted to hear the name again and see why it made his heart flutter slightly.

"My name's Chi-chi." She said the name again. Dusk felt his heart flutter again; almost though it was a key to chip away the coldness that surrounded his heart.

"Chi-chi…" Dusk muttered her name and reached out to her before the migraine worsened. Pulling away, he grabbed his head with both of his hands; the fingers digging into the hood that covered his head.

"Dusk!" He felt the migraine overpowering every logical thought and faint memories flashed before his eyes of his previous encounters of this woman.

"M-Mysterious Nightingale… Chi-chi… please do not… get any closer…" Dusk muttered weakly before the world around him darkened.

* * *

_Dusk found himself in a house he had never seen before and noticed that the Mysterious Nightingale, no Chi-chi, was humming softly like she did the one time when she was baking the cake. For an odd reason, she seemed healthier, happier and more at ease compared to the stress he had seen many times on her face. What had changed that and why?_

"_Oh, I didn't know you were there," Chi-chi smiled warmly at him when she noticed him there within the kitchen. "Were you hungry?"_

"_I am," Dusk admitted. The way she spoke with affection made him feel strange and a part of him feared what he was feeling while another wanted nothing more than to give into it; to let it consume the darkness within his soul._

"_Well, dinner will be ready in a bit. Why don't you call the boys from outside?" Chi-chi asked._

'_The boys?' Dusk thought silently. 'Hell no, they can wait… I want… I need…'_

_Almost though Dusk was in a trance, he rose from his chair and walked towards the woman instead; snaking his arms around her waist before drawing her closer to him. Her scent and warm body felt wonderful and it caused such an odd stirring in his heart. He didn't care though; he actually welcomed these strange longings over the coldness he had felt for the longest time. A part of him __**yearned**__ to make her happy; to cherish her for who she was instead of giving her up to anyone else. Whatever he was feeling, he never wanted to let her go and let it disappear once more._

"_Cut it out…" Chi-chi giggled softly. Dusk ignored her and kissed her neck affectionately. For an odd reason, had no idea why he was attracted to this woman he barely knew anything about and only continued his menstruations. "Seriously, the food's going to get cold if you don't stop…"_

"_I don't care…" Dusk muttered against her neck while one hand ran up the length of her body and gently caressed her cheek. He kissed her softly on her cheek while her hand twined around his own._

"_Honestly, you're going to complain later…"_

"_It would be worth it Chi-chi," Dusk nuzzled her almost cat-like._

"_You haven't shown me this much affection for a while now… are you alright?" Chi-chi asked in a worried tone._

"_Never been better," Dusk admitted before she turned around in his arms. Their lips met and the feeling became so intense; so overbearing that he wanted this moment to last forever. 'I… I don't know why, but I… I feel…'_

_Moments later, he felt her body grow bitterly cold and fall limp in his grasp. The kitchen itself had warped into the lifeless snowy city that held not one iota of life. He withdrew his hands; her body falling to the ground lifelessly and noticed that blood clung to his bare hands. Fear and anguish crossed his face and he noticed the thousands of corpses around him; some with lifeless expressions while others were mutilated skeletons._

"_Why? Why is she dead?" Dusk spoke in anguish. He had no idea what was going on anymore and instantly, he felt lost within the chaos that seemed to exist no matter where he walked. "Why am I surrounded by these corpses?"_

"_Because you are a murderer… taking innocent lives in order to serve a man whose ambitions are tainted in blood…" a voice called out from behind him. He turned and saw a figure obscured in a golden aura and was unable to make him out. "It's your fault they're all dead, even Chi-chi…"_

"_No… I didn't kill her…" Dusk whimpered in denial. He felt hurt, the despair sinking in while the figure within the light accused him of doing such a horrid deed even though he wasn't responsible for what he did to Chi-chi. If he truly did kill her, why then did he regret doing so? Why did he feel lost without her by his side? Why wouldn't she wake up and reassure him?_

"_She isn't yet, but you pretty much gave her to him…" the man accused angrily before he pointed a single finger towards Dusk. He was confused before he felt something pierce him from behind and coughed up blood. He had no idea what was going on, but a cruel laughter filled the air; one he had heard many times and inclined his head to see the only other person who had desired the female his heart longed for._

"_Thank you so much for your services Dusk… a pity that you are no longer needed…" Raizen spoke in a cruel tone. The soldier turned and noticed a hand sticking out of his chest covered in his own blood._

"_M-master…" Dusk choked out in pain; his vision growing dark. 'No, I can't die… not like this… I need to live… for…' His eyes fell upon the lifeless form of the woman he knew he had betrayed. He reached out to her despite the strength leaving his body with every passing second._

"_Don't worry, I will take good care of her…" Raizen laughed tauntingly._

* * *

Alarmed, Dusk sat up in bed breathing heavily before noticing that he was once again in his quarters. The thought of the Mysterious Nightingale, no Chi-chi, being in his master's hands sickened him and he knew now that he had to save her from his clutches. But first, he had to get out of there before he could dare make such an attempt to rescue her. He got up and walked to the door, but found it was sealed shut.

"Damn it…" Dusk attempted to open the door, but it wouldn't give. He noticed his energy blade underneath the bed and grabbed for it when he heard Raizen's voice through the radio static.

"_**Attention everyone, the Mysterious Nightingale has been captured… you are to kill all of those who aided her… their execution will ensure the Mysterious Nightingale surrenders entirely to my will and…"**_

Angrily, Dusk punched the speaker, not wishing to hear any more of Raizen's speech before his hand grasped the energy blade. _'What the hell are you doing master? Why would you kill her comrades when you said that they might be valuable as slaves? Were you lying when you said you told me you were making this world along with the universe better?'_

'_**He's lied to you since the first day you were brought out of the darkness…'**_

'_No… m-master wouldn't dare lie about his objectives…'_

'_**You know in your heart that he's been deceiving you! Look all around you! Is anyone happy about this?'**_

'_I… no… no they're not…'_ Dusk admitted to himself and found himself questioning his motives. He looked at the wall and saw the reflected masked man standing there. _'Who am I?'_

'_**A shadow of your former self… you need to remember…'**_

'_Remember? But how?'_ The voice did not answer. Frustrated, Dusk punched the wall where his reflection was; distorting it before grabbing his energy blade as it hummed to life. Stabbing the door with it, he made quick work to create an opening to escape through it in order to find out where Chi-chi was. He had to save her before Raizen did something horrible to her and he wouldn't dare allow that monster the satisfaction of turning her against humanity.

"Lord Raizen's angry," one of the soldiers muttered.

"What do you mean?" another questioned.

"Someone has taken the dragon balls." Dusk did not have any time for this nonsense. He only knew one other person who may know any inkling about the dragon balls.

"Milton…" Dusk hissed softly before turning around. One way or another, that bastard was going to die and if he played his cards right, he would be the one to kill him for not only betraying the humans, but Raizen himself.

The measly human who he had spared many times would soon pay for his betrayal.

_**To Be Continued…**_


	8. Revelations

**Soul's Requiem**

**Chapter 7**

Dusk walked slowly behind Milton until the demented male hurriedly made his way across the deserted park that would make for a good spot far enough away from the spaceship to do what he wished. He spilled the six dragon balls across the ground and quickly bunched them up into a small pile before his greedy eyes gleamed with mischief.

Raising his arms in an over-the-top dramatic pose, Milton called out, "Arise o' mighty dragon god and make me the ruler of the universe!"

The very sight made Dusk question Milton's sanity and for a moment, Dusk almost felt sorry for what he was going to do to him. _Almost_. Clearing his throat, Dusk got Milton's attention and the traitorous man turned to see the masked man standing there with an air of annoyance.

"Ah! Dusk! What are you doing here?" Milton asked in worry.

"I would ask the same with the master's balls," Dusk muttered with irritation. He had wanted to torture this human for a long time, but the thought of doing so did not seem to do this nutcase any justice. He just wanted to reduce his body to nothingness after all of the lies he spewed from his mouth without a shred of mercy. The only times he told the truth were too far and few in between. "What do you plan to do with them?"

"Well, I'm planning to revolt against our leader for taking over this world." Milton spoke with confidence.

"You know it's not going to work with six dragon balls right?" Dusk questioned bluntly. He had no idea why he said it, but he felt like there was supposed to be another. He didn't know why either, he just assumed he heard it somewhere.

"Well, doesn't each dragon ball grant one wish?"

"No you idiot. If that were the case, why did our master seek seven of them out?"

"Ooo! You think you're so smart and so high up because of your fighting skills! I bet if I was as powerful like you are, I could easily take down Raizen and have the universe at my fingertips!"

"It'll never happen and that is why your usefulness has finally expired." Dusk felt guilt in what he was going to do to Milton, but he knew this man had it coming. "Have any last words before I send you to your maker?"

"W-wait! Don't do it!" Milton pleaded. Dusk did not listen to it though and incinerated the man with a single blast. Nothing remained of him and for once, Dusk had to admit that it felt rather good killing a demented human despite the inner voice screaming how wrong it was.

"Hm. What a waste of potential that guy…" Dusk muttered while examining one of the dragon balls that lay at his feet. A vision of a towering dragon filled his mind; almost though he had seen the serpent-like beast once before. When though and why? "Damn headaches…"

Gathering the dragon balls, he paused when he felt something foreign. Dusk felt heart fluttering slightly and an image of Chi-chi was conjured in his mind's eye with a lifeless expression on her face. Concentrating, he focused on her life force and felt it there still; holding the vitality it had before when he reached out to her.

'_How am I supposed to get to her with all of those guards though?'_ His fingers brushed against his masked forehead and for a moment and his eyes widened in surprise. _'Will it work though? I had only seen it a few times in my nightmares…'_

Pressing his index and middle finger against the mask, he concentrated before the air around him shimmered and everything around him became a blur of grayness. His body became weightless and for a fleeting moment, he was afraid he had blotched up what he was doing.

Moments later, he was standing before Chi-chi and saw that she had worked one of her wrists free and was working on trying to free rest of her bound form. Dusk quickly made such a trivial thing vanish and undid the rest of the shackles binding her to the wall with blasts. She fell, but he caught her in his arms.

"Dusk? What's going on? How did you…?" Chi-chi started questioning before he silenced her quickly out of fear that the other guards might overhear. He gently uncovered her mouth and concentrated again; knowing this would make his headache a bit more irritating, but would deal with the consequences later.

'_Can you speak to me like this for a bit?_' Dusk spoke telepathically to her. Slowly, Chi-chi nodded her head. _'Grab the last dragon ball and come with me. We don't have much time.'_

'_Time? What do you mean?'_ Chi-chi searched for the dragon ball while Dusk crushed the communicator after he overheard the soldiers talking about the dragon balls going missing.

'_Because of Milton, they're looking for the dragon balls. We must make a wish before he finds out that we have them.'_ Dusk explained.

'_I understand.'_ Chi-chi found the dragon ball and picked it up. Dusk figured she was ready to go and grabbed her hand; not knowing she was trying to get the ring as well. _'Wait!'_ But it was already too late. He had focused just enough and they vanished outside of the ship once more. The cold air once more was around them and Chi-chi angrily looked at Dusk. "We have to go back! You have no idea how much that ring means to me!"

"Whatever sentimental value that thing was, we cannot go back for it now." Dusk spoke with frustration. If he could, he would have left her behind, but the nagging voice told him not to do so. As thanks for doing it, a tearful Chi-chi smacked the masked male across the face and it did not hurt him in the slightest. He head had been forced to the side by the momentum and he twisted it back to see the upset woman before him. A part of him wanted to hurt her, but only part of him. The other held great concern for the woman's safety and he wanted to apologize to her for what he had done.

"You are such a heartless bastard! I hate you!" Chi-chi yelled at him angrily while she cradled her hand that had been slightly bruised from the blow she had attempted to land moments ago.

"This yelling isn't going to help matters any," Dusk rebutted her frustration. "So if you wish to continue yelling at me while the entire universe is at stake, then you might as well save Raizen the trouble of killing you."

"I'd rather die than live another day knowing that he's hunting me for some stupid 'partner' ceremony or something like that…" Chi-chi countered; bringing awareness to Raizen's former servant.

"Did you say 'partner' ceremony?" Dusk asked and it was confirmed when she nodded her head. "That asshole…"

"What's wrong?"

"He wants to do more than just make you one of his concubines." Dusk hissed angrily; not knowing why he was against the idea. "He wants to take away your free will."

"No…" Chi-chi spoke in trepidation; wishing it wasn't so. "What can I do to keep it from happening?"

"How committed were you to Son Goku?" Dusk asked since he figured if this 'Son Goku' were here, he might have a chance to save the day as always. "Was this 'partner' of yours the one you treasured and loved deeply?"

"I do. He means the world to me and I always feel sad and alone when he leaves me to defend Earth or hang out with his friends. I always feel lost without him." Chi-chi admitted.

"Does he return these feelings?"

"I… I'm not sure…" Chi-chi confessed and looked away from Dusk with guilt on her face. It was almost though she was uncertain of her partner's loyalty. "There are times he doesn't care about me and runs off. I wish he didn't and…"

"Perhaps if you asked him, you'd get the answers you'll seek."

"But that's impossible, he's dead and the only other person here's you."

"For now, yes. Would you care to summon the dragon?"

Chi-chi realized that they did not have much time and nodded. He set the mystical orbs to the ground. Chi-chi mentally prepared herself for not once had she summoned the eternal dragon in her lifetime to have him grant any wishes. Now, the fate of the universe rested on her shoulders and if she remained idle long enough, that chance would slip out of her fingertips.

"By your name, I call you now, Shenron!" Chi-chi called out to the dragon. The glowing orbs flashed and the heavens darkened. Before their eyes, a flash of light erupted from the balls themselves and almost in a dream-like state; a serpent-like beast began to snake out of the spheres that laid before the soldier and rebellious woman. It seemed surreal that he would be helping his enemy while betraying the Daza-jin that had wanted Chi-chi, but Dusk now knew he had made the right decision aiding the woman and keeping her from his grasp.

"**YOU WHO HAVE SUMMONED ME, I SHALL GRANT TWO WISHES,"** Shenron demanded in a thundering voice. The very air felt like static being surrounded by the eternal dragon's power and the idea of having two wishes instead of just one made it all the better for their standpoint. "**TELL ME WHAT YOU DESIRE AND I WILL GRANT IT IF IT IS WITHIN MY POWER."**

Shenron hovered over Dusk's head and he looked over at Chi-chi; half-expecting her to make her wish in order to ensure that those who perished were given another chance at life. Yet, she uttered not one world after he was summoned, which made him wonder why she hesitated. If they didn't hurry and make the wishes, then Raizen may arrive before they made their wishes.

Dusk was certain that the female would use the first wish to revive all of those killed by Raizen, but for the second…

"I don't know what to wish for," Chi-chi finally muttered to Dusk.

"Why don't you wish back your loved ones and the other humans that perished by Raizen and his soldiers?" Dusk suggested. The female shook her head sadly. "What's making you hesitate? That's why we summoned the dragon for wasn't it?"

"It won't work," Chi-chi looked down at the glowing spheres. "They were already wished back during the whole ordeal with Majin Buu. I don't think he could do it again. I'm sorry if I mislead you…"

"Shit, this isn't good…" Dusk looked back up at the eternal dragon. What was the point in even gathering all seven of the dragon balls if they couldn't make a wish to undo all that the overlord did to the Earth? "Even if we asked, he wouldn't grant it… this is just fucktastic…"

"**YOU ARE TESTING MY PATIENCE…"** Shenron's voice boomed with impatience. For a being whose ties are between seven mystical spheres and could grant any wish within reason, it seemed that their plans had been doomed from the start.

It was then Dusk realized that yes, maybe instead of wishing for the lives of those killed, he could start by trying to figure out his past. The headaches he had whenever he attempted to remember anything of his past and to figure out the mystery of why this woman he's with has caused this much pain; could he grant something that he himself could not recall? If so, what would be the price of learning such forbidden knowledge? At this point, the former Nightingale Hunter only had one wish; one that could either make or break him. Steeling himself the best he could, he looked directly at the dragon's large form and knew it was now or never.

"Shenron," Dusk started, feeling the unease rise within his gut while he mentally prepared himself for what the consequences of his own wish would do to him, "is it possible if you can revive my memories?"

"**IT IS WITHIN MY POWER; HOWEVER, YOU MUST BE FULLY WILLING**," the dragon warned the masked soldier. Dusk realized then that there was no turning back at this point. He glanced at Chi-chi for a fleeting moment and almost wished he could reassure her at that moment. Instead, he felt like the truth of who he truly was could ultimately destroy him.

"Do it!" Dusk yelled and it was those last two words that he spoke that everything around him suddenly vanished. A blinding headache far worse than any of the migraines he suffered from struck him. Falling to his knees, he hissed in pain as the wish's full effect hit him all at once.

Memories poured through his mind like water and Dusk suddenly saw everything that he realized was the horrific truth. He wasn't Raizen's right hand man; he wasn't a soldier serving an overlord that only wanted to ensure the planet, but the woman beside him. He realized with horror that Son Goku was indeed still alive, but had been the tragic victim of this horrid game that Raizen had played all along.

Had the masked man not been wearing it to begin with, Chi-chi would have discovered the fate of her husband much sooner and what he said weeks ago would have been a horrid lie. The masked man realized that he had deceived her and realized why he couldn't bear to look at himself in the mirror either.

Dusk, the soldier that Raizen had put all of his trust into, was indeed Son Goku and with that horrid truth, he knew right then and there, he had betrayed not only the humans he had sworn to protect, but he also betrayed his wife. Having to live with the consequences with the wish, he suddenly regretted ever uttering such a possibility to the eternal dragon and foolishly accepting his terms.

'_Chi-chi… I… I can't face you like this... had I learned about this sooner, I…'_ Goku's thoughts were interrupted when he felt his power rise slightly; however, he knew that with the limiters still embedded in his hands, he wouldn't be able to fully power up to his entirety until they were removed. He felt his tail had regenerated and was grateful for the cloak he wore since she could not see it.

The memories still flooded his mind; remaking the person he was before the horrid tragedies leading up to this point in time where he was reunited with his wife to stop Raizen, the Daza-jin who had come to Earth to destroy humanity and take what he wanted. The idea of this monster kidnapping his wife irritated him and he faintly heard something tear; however, he was still unable to see anything besides the memories leading up to his capture of that monster.

It was when a horrified shriek sounded that he knew he could no longer run away from his destiny. The Earth-raised Saiya-jin _had_ to fight and protect his wife. Otherwise, this beast who had already thrown their planet into hell would only do the same thing to her that he _never_ wanted her to experience.

"Any last words before I destroy you both for your incompetence?" Raizen questioned with hatred that alone would have made many tremble. These words pierced the Earth-raised Saiya-jin's memories and jarred him from the wish that was made. He stood up and adjusted the cloak he wore before his eyes flitted to his former master.

"You have committed malicious crimes on this planet. Why have you come to take all life away for greed?" Goku demanded in a questionable tone of voice. He noted that Chi-chi was staring at him in awe; almost though he had become an entirely different person after the wishes were granted.

"You of all people should know that I take what I desire: minerals, water, food and a rare pleasure slave." Raizen spoke with conviction in his voice. "Besides, I find these essentials nice jewels to my empire."

"So you were going to take Chi-chi as well and make her into one of your jewels?" Goku jealously questioned. He would sooner die than allow his wife to be taken away from him and he would continue to play the role of Dusk if it meant protecting her heart. "To make her your 'partner' and keep her from Death's hands?"

"That was the plan until you spirited her away and summoned the dragon." Raizen gave an amusing answer. "No matter at this moment. I can always go to Namek and have the dragon there revive her so she's nothing but a living doll under my complete control. Of course, you will not be resurrected with her since you have taken what you have desired already."

"You're heartless and have no sense of honor!" Goku vowed and raised his power to the highest he could without transforming. He knew he did not stand a chance without the transformation, but he had to hope that the wish itself gave him the power he needed to fight against Raizen.

Not wasting a moment, Goku flew at the heartless bastard and punched him so hard that he flew backwards from the momentum. Wrapping his regenerated tail tighter around his waist, he noticed that Raizen had recovered and sped up in order to intercept him before he could land a single blow. He kicked him down to the ground where he grew frustrated by the Earth-raised Saiya-jin's increase in power.

"Damn you!" He roared angrily at Goku and began to raise his power. He felt Chi-chi's eyes watching him and for a fleeting moment, heard her thoughts.

'_He'll protect me… just like Goku would…'_ Chi-chi thought with hope in her heart.

'_You still haven't figured it out yet?' _Dusk asked cryptically.

"What?" Chi-chi questioned and wondered if Dusk had really spoken to her telepathically or if she were just imagining things.

"I'll make you pay for taunting me!" Raizen vowed while his power reached its zenith. The very power was challenging and it had given Goku trouble in the past. He knew that he didn't stand a chance since his maximum power would probably only be half of the Daza-jin's if he estimated his newfound power correctly. It would be if it he wasn't limited by the limiters in his palms.

"Is that a challenge?" Dusk cockily questioned, but knew he did not stand a chance against him at his full power, _'Kind of wished I removed those things in my palms earlier…'_ Still, he had to hope that goading him would make his responses worse and he could take advantage of it.

"You dare mock me?" Raizen questioned before launching himself towards Goku. The Earth-raised Saiya-jin managed to evade the blows that would have otherwise hurt him. Quickly, he countered and sent Raizen backwards while Goku stood there with an air of confidence in his newfound abilities.

Soon, Raizen rose up from the ground and quickly created more distance between Goku and himself. He was breathing heavily while the Earth-raised Saiya-jin seemed hardly bothered from the exertion.

'_How dare that bastard Saiya-jin make a fool out of me?'_ Raizen thought venomously. _'I'll show him…'_

Goku meanwhile was only slightly winded and he glanced over to see Chi-chi watching with hope in her eyes. _'I only hope that after this battle, you will forgive me…'_

"You… you wished for… for the power to… to defeat me didn't you?" Raizen gasped angrily.

"Actually, that was Chi-chi's wish. I only wanted my memories back." The Earth-raised Saiya-jin only tilted his head in his wife's direction to confirm his allegiance with Raizen was over.

"Then you know…" Raizen began, but Goku interrupted with a painful blow to his stomach; his fist embedding into his flesh rather torturously. A gasp of pain escaped the Daza-jin's lungs and he fell to his knees to the ground.

"Yes, those that I care about are dead thanks to your soldiers. I'm surprised out of all the carnage, the one human you left alive was the one who brought forth your downfall." Goku bitterly replied. "You should have picked a different woman that had no knowledge of the dragon balls. You're finished Raizen. Either leave now or prepare to die."

"I'm not bested yet Dusk. You haven't been fighting me at full power." Raizen spoke with dark promise and found his footing again. It was either a bluff or the truth, but Goku was confident he could handle Raizen's worst.

"Oh? I thought that was your best." The Earth-raised Saiya-jin was acting in the similar manner he did long ago when he fought Frieza and knew that he could easily counter what this bastard had in store.

"The Daza-jin race possesses one skill that we use in reservation due to the nature of it. Boast while you can, for once I reach my true power, you shall regret those words that you have spoken." Raizen hissed before he crouched down and began to summon his power. His appearance began to morph along with his power. Where his skin was once smooth became a darker pitch, jagged with scales while black horns sprouted from his head and his eyes took on a pure golden color.

A backlash of raw chi forced the earth to upheave violently in contrast to a sudden earthquake and forced Chi-chi heavenward. Goku quickly flew and caught the female in order to shield her from the buffeting energy. A draconic roar echoed throughout the area and the maelstrom of energy suddenly ceased.

"Are you alright?" Goku questioned while releasing Chi-chi from his grasp.

"I'll be fine. You should be more cautious tho… oh my god…" Chi-chi's eyes widened in total dread at the demonic energy she felt radiating off of the transformed Daza-jin.

Raizen's long white hair ran down his back and his golden eyes fixated towards the pair with total bloodlust. His armor was shredded by the horrifying transformation that changed the former humanoid-type creature into what looked like the devil itself. Spikes spawned from the curvature of his shoulders and his demonic horns seemed to radiate with a ghastly power strong enough to make even an angel cry. It was almost though Lucifer himself were before them with enough power to promise the world's ruination along with the universe.

"I take it you're horrified by this transformation." Raizen's voice took on such a deep baritone voice that it was almost unearthly.

"Oh… oh my…" Chi-chi whimpered from the energy that easily eclipsed Goku's own level of power.

"I'm not," Goku spoke angrily. "I've seen worst monsters that pale in comparison of your transformation. If you think I'll run so you could hunt me down, then you're wrong."

"Dusk, you're no match for him…" Chi-chi pleaded to Goku. The way she spoke, he reminded himself that he was playing the role of Raizen's soldier, but he knew he wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer if his power continued to climb. Sooner or later, he would have to transform in order to keep Chi-chi safe.

"Not like this," Goku answered Chi-chi and removed his gloves; allowing them to fall to the ground haphazardly.

"No matter what you try, you cannot defeat me," Raizen growled out. Goku removed the heavy belt next before it too joined the gloves that littered the surface. "Honestly, you think that removing that stuff from your body would make a difference?"

"You never know unless you try." Goku shrugged his insults off before he reached his mask. It was then he hesitated. He knew he wouldn't be able to wear it forever, but he did not want to see the pained expression on her face by removing it all the same.

"What's the matter? Are you afraid that she might not know of your little secret?" Raizen quipped jokingly. The Earth-raised Saiya-jin's hands pulled away from the mask and fell to his sides openly, but were folding over into fists the more Raizen talked. "She's bound to know sooner or later that you're…"

"SHUT-UP!" Goku roared angrily and flew at Raizen without knowing he had been forced into a trap of his own making.

A moment later, he threw a punch that did not hit anything and realized the error of his ways when Raizen's fist plowed into his mask-covered face. Shards rained upon the ground while Goku was catapulted backwards by the momentum of the punch. Tumbling in a free fall into the earth, he rolled across the dirt-covered ground for several dizzying moments before finally coming to a stop on his stomach.

Climbing in a kneeling position, Goku had felt what razor-sharp shards of the mask cut his face in some spots. Blood and pieces of the now mud-caked façade fell tantalizingly slow. It rested in a cluttered heap shortly before the rest of it fell off; exposing his true face. Even before the last of it left his face, his eyes were already clenched shut in a mixture of shame and regret; knowing he couldn't hide the truth anymore.

For the first time since he had met Chi-chi again by chance what felt like a lifetime ago, Goku regretted his chances of being reunited with her like this. His tail ended up falling to the ground limply from his waist to further confirm his wife's suspicions. All this time, he could have gone back to them despite the fact that he lost his memory, but the bastard that brainwashed him and turned him against humanity kept him imprisoned against his true desires. And for that, he felt even more powerless than he did before in stopping him from taking away what he treasured more in the world.

"G-Goku..." Chi-chi's voice wavered weakly when she spoke his name. He knew he couldn't hide his identity from her anymore.

'_Chi-chi…'_ Goku thought silently in utter dread, barely keeping the bile down his stomach. _'I wish you hadn't of found out this way…'_

Evil laughter echoed across the area. The couple was reunited only for a short time and now, Raizen was planning to tear them apart forever at any means necessary.

_**To Be Continued…**_


	9. My Last Breath

**Soul's Requiem**

**Chapter 8**

"G-Goku…" Chi-chi spoke with a shaky voice. Moments ago, his identity was revealed and the mask that he had hidden his identity from her was broken upon the ground. He was honestly ashamed of her finding out the way she did and had lost the desire to fight for her.

"Now that the mask's broken, there's no reason for you to hold back," Raizen attempted to goad the Earth-raised Saiya-jin. At that moment, he was in a catatonic state; the very world around him seemed like it was falling apart and there was no one left to pick up the pieces. "Why do you not stand? Did I break your spirit?"

'_Why can't I stand?'_ Goku thought to himself while staring down at the broken shards of his mask that littered the ground in various fragments covered in both blood and dirt. The action that happened prior had robbed his dignity and fighting spirit all in one blow. It was all because of Raizen he felt utter despair.

"Leave him alone!" Chi-chi cried out while she ran to his side. While the Daza-jin was amused by this, he heard Chi-chi trying to make him respond, but he could not even bring himself to look at her; knowing he caused her so much pain. She fretted over him like a child, her voice holding such concern towards him though he was wounded. "Why didn't you say anything about what happened? Why did you let everyone die? Why did you betray me?"

For once, Goku couldn't answer. He felt like he was a million miles away trapped under the gravity of fallen debris and couldn't find the strength to dig to the surface. The only sign that he was alive was his ragged breathing and everything else, including his once-lively gaze, seemed completely hollow and empty.

"My dear, he was ordered to do so," Raizen answered for the grounded Earth-raised Saiya-jin. "I threatened him greatly for harming you and he did what he was ordered to without question. Of course, this was after I dragged out the truth from his mind and found out how to break his will. When I saw how much he valued you, I wanted to ensure that I had you all to myself."

"You… you jerk!" Chi-chi angrily hissed at Raizen.

"And now that the stage is set, it will be much easier to just use my mind probing powers to disable you than to implant something in your…" The words Raizen said just then were enough to jerk Goku back into consciousness. Instinctively, he punched Raizen across the face, forcing him to stagger away from his wife. Instantly, Goku shielded her behind his form while his lip curled angrily over bared teeth.

"You'll do that over my dead body." Goku growled warningly while he began to raise his power again. He utilized the rage and frustration inside of his body to attempt to transform; to ascend in order to challenge his power...

…however, he was unable to do so due to the blinding pain that paralyzed his body and raked over every single molecule that made up who he was. Falling down to his knees, he writhed in agony from what felt like thousands of tiny knives penetrating every muscle to keep his true power bound by the limiters under the skin in his palms.

"The devices implanted within you seem to be doing wonders to keep you from taking me down." Raizen laughed joyously before grabbing his wife who attempted to get him off of her to no avail. "There's no use resisting what is about to happen my dear."

"Let go of…" Chi-chi struggled before she felt her mind and body suddenly raped by paralysis when their eyes met. A horror filled and magnified scream emitted from her throat and it almost sounded like she was suffering a fate worse than death. Raizen did not stop there as he sent some of his energy through the female's body to intensify her cries of pain.

"Yes… scream…" Raizen spoke boldly while he found purchase of her waist and pulled her closer to his form. "Every scream is music to my ears and soon, it will be the only thing you will be capable of doing for the rest of eternity. My Mysterious Nightingale… your screams will be my lullaby as I take you each night… my joyous time with your body will be nothing but pure rapture and there's nothing you can…"

"STOP IT!" Goku roared angrily as his power began to override the limiters. The Saiya-jin inside of his mind and body roared for him to save his mate and for once, he didn't hesitate grasping what power he was able to summon. His eyes flickered aquamarine while his hair stood on end; shifting between blonde and his natural raven shade before he threw himself forward and tore at Raizen mid-torso. The impact of the blow forced him to release Chi-chi and her lifeless body fell to the ground while Raizen himself flew into a building that caved in upon him due to the impact.

"Chi-chi…" Goku caught her and gently shook the lifeless female. He felt for her life force, but she did not respond to him in the slightest bit. His energy sputtered around him and he struggled to obtain more power knowing his enemy wouldn't be stopped so easily by one blow. His concerns were more towards his wife and he wanted her to snap out of it, to reassure him that she was alright. _'What has that bastard done to you Chi-chi?'_

"You cannot save her from my Mind Paralysis," Raizen darkly affirmed while he emerged from the ruins of the building that had collapsed on him moments earlier. "She can still breathe, but she will not recall who you are or anyone else. The minute I kill you here, I shall take her as my partner and manipulate her to my wishes."

"You… you asshole…" Goku growled out. He was already pissed off at him for what he had done to him, but now, he involved his wife in all of this. He removed his cloak and carefully wrapped her in its warmth before resting her on the broken marble bench that winter had entombed in its bitter grasp. Sparing a quick glance back at her, Goku walked towards Raizen; determined to end this madness once and for all so he could escape the nightmare he had lived through every night; the memories he had stolen from him and for the countless murders he had committed in cold blood.

Mentally steeling himself, he concentrated and ignored the blighting pain that screamed through his muscles as he forced himself to ascend further. His hair had flashed and solidified its blonde state while lightning grazed throughout his aura. He knew that it wouldn't be enough and already, he felt the limiters working overtime in order to render him powerless.

'_I have to keep fighting… for Chi-chi's sake…'_ Goku mentally vowed while backing back the pain that screamed throughout his form.

"Oh, keep powering up. You're only hurting yourself…" Raizen spoke with such indifference to Goku who stood only a stone's throw away.

"You'll… you'll pay…" Goku grunted with clenched teeth before lunging forward towards Raizen in order to take him out. It might have been his blood, but he felt the need to torture him for every moment he made Chi-chi scream, for every single tear she had shed. He wanted to torture him in such a way his cries would echo across the universe for eons.

'_I'll kill him for hurting her! I can never forgive him!'_ The rage-driven thought in his mind snarled in pure ire. Each punch was brutal and the Earth-raised Saiya-jin was slowly succumbing to the primitive thoughts that defined his race. The one stood before him did not deserve any chances to redeem himself or to be spared like those he had thought he could change in the past.

No, Raizen's soul was black as coal and the only thing he wanted was to ensure that everyone suffered, Chi-chi included. Goku continued to strain his chi in order to continue to fight at the second level, but it was growing more difficult to sustain every moment. If he released it, he knew that he would die by the Daza-jin's hands and risk losing much more than that.

"You know it's pointless to even try to kill me without access to your full power," Raizen replied to Goku's last words spoken before he grabbed the Earth-raised Saiya-jin's head. The Earth-raised Saiya-jin's mind was instantly exposed and the Daza-jin easily read his thoughts in his rage-driven mind. "You're better off giving up and letting me have my way with your dear former partner for once I ensure she's better, she'll be in my arms."

Almost though he was insulted, Goku felt like he was being destroyed psychologically more with every word he heard. He decided that he had no choice but to try to ascend once more and pulled away from Raizen. Crying out in both agony and need, he forced his power to its limit in order to grasp what he needed to make the third transformation…

…then suddenly, he found himself winded as the very aura died around him and his power fading. The burning pain in his palms only intensified so much that it was almost like acid being poured directly into the flesh and muscle. Quivering with such anger and frustration, Goku glared at Raizen with hatred. His vision was fading fast, his muscles complaining from the effort it took for him to not collapse and allow this demon from hell to have his way with him.

Dark, ominous laughter filled the air as Raizen laughed at Goku's misfortune as he grasped the Earth-raised Saiya-jin's tail in an iron-like grasp. Paralyzed in yet another manner, Goku wished he could move; could find the strength to rip the bastard's hand from his tail, but he was powerless. His energy was fleeing his already taxed body and he knew he was a goner.

"The game is over. You have lost and now, I shall have your life." Raizen cackled before cocking his fist back; releasing the tail with his other hand. Even with this reprieve, Goku knew he stood no chance. He shifted his gaze from the Daza-jin to his helpless wife and mate's almost lifeless form. The wind softly blew her hair while the falling snow began to cover her up almost like nature was attempting to slowly conceal the female from everyone.

'_I'm sorry Chi-chi…'_ Goku thought and almost wished she could reassure him. He couldn't fight and did not have the strength to guard her anymore. The only thing awaiting him now was death and he would be forced to take it with arms wide open. It was then that the earth suddenly caved from beneath his footing taking both him and Chi-chi into the darkness that waited below.

* * *

When Goku had gained his bearings, he realized that he was in an old abandoned subway tunnel and realized his fortune despite it prolonging his suffering a little while longer. Whatever unnatural forces saved his life, he wasn't as thankful as he should have been. Nearby, he noticed that Chi-chi had joined him when the earth caved in and she was partially buried beneath its debris. He didn't have much strength left inside of him and ran at a moderate jog to unbury the female. He checked for a pulse and found one beating steadily through her veins. The only thing he could see in the limited light was that she had gained a few scratches, but he knew it wasn't anything to worry about at the moment.

"Chi-chi, come on, snap out of it," Goku gently shook her again; wishing with all of his heart that she could hear him and respond. She remained lifeless; her empty gaze looking up at him with a vacant expression. He hated seeing her like this and pulled her eye lids closed in order to make it seem like she fell asleep again. '_Hang on Chi-chi,'_

He began to run down the tunnels that ran underground; knowing he couldn't stay in one place for too much longer. Raizen was after both him and the woman in his arms and the last thing he wanted was to allow her to be captured again.

Yet, he soon felt his body ache in pain and he noticed a storage closet to hide in. He rested Chi-chi down on the various articles of clothing left abandoned while fishing in his right boot for the knife that he had hidden there. His only hope was that he had enough time to cut the limiters that disabled his transformations. Knowing he would be in pain, he prayed for strength for what he was about to do and took the knife to his skin.

* * *

'_What's going on?'_ Chi-chi thought while drifting unconsciously at that moment. The pain she had felt had all but ceased; however, she noted that there was nothing but blurred memories in her mind. _'Where am I? Who… am I?'_

She wanted to open her eyes, but all she saw was darkness all around her. She heard a muttered yelp and her heart fluttered slightly.

'_Who was that? He sounded like he was in pain…'_ Chi-chi sadly contemplated while another choked cry escaped someone's throat. _'Is he going to hurt me or is he in pain? If so, why can't I respond?'_

* * *

Two bloodied pieces of metal rested on the floor and Goku bit back the pain as he breathed heavily. A part of him regretted trying to do self-surgery upon himself, but he had to in order to remove the limiters that had kept him from powering up. He found two rags that were dirty, but it would have to do as bandages since he was running out of time. He wrapped them around his hands and tied them with his opposite hand and teeth as securely as possible.

'_I need to get going again…'_ Goku thought before lifting his wife into his arms. He could have sworn that she responded, but perhaps he was feeling things since his hands were very sensitive at the moment. He began to run again with her in his grasp and no sooner did he start running that his hands want nothing to do with her added weight. He resisted leaving her behind; that was the last thing he would ever do since he knew there was a chance she would be found.

Above him, he heard the thundering explosions of the soldiers attempting to level the ground above and the debris began to cave in from all around him. More than once, he had to dodge and maneuver around fallen objects and he nearly tripped a few times, but caught himself for his wife's sake.

The passageway narrowed and it was through the jagged opening that he noticed light streaming through the wall. In an ironic sense, it reminded him of the bathroom light he would leave on every single night, but it seemed to cast a pale light. His muscles and hands ached, so he paused for a brief moment to observe what cast such a reassuring glow. Through the hazy clouds, his eyes fell on something that nearly stopped almost every logical thought of his condition, of Chi-chi's current state and the danger he was in.

Out in the heavens that night was a full moon and the bestial side of his heritage wanted nothing more than to surrender to its siren-like call. The Earth-raised Saiya-jin's eyes glazed over, the pounding heartbeat echoing loudly through his ears and his breathing grew more ragged by the moment. His grip on his wife tightened slightly and the only thing that seemed to matter was seeing the moon in what seemed to be his last moments of consciousness. He ignored the pain that had crippled his tail earlier as it writhed violently in a dance underneath the hypnotizing light that the lunar object had on the Earth-raised Saiya-jin.

'_**Destroy…'**_ a bloodlust voice echoed in his subconscious mind in such a bloodthirsty and heartless manner that it almost seemed real. _**'Forget everything and destroy…'**_

The voice nearly pushed what sense of reason was left in Goku over the edge, but a small whimper made him tear his vision from the silvery face. His glowing red eyes fell on the source of the sound in his grasp and from beneath the undercurrents of his current state, logical thought came back to him when Goku realized that he was hurting his own wife without realizing it. The redness faded and his normal eyes returned from the depths of insanity he had almost gave into in his moment of weakness.

Yet, it did not stop his body from shaking with the violent need to look back up at the moon and finish what it had started. Even if he tried to move away, he would still be under its effects and his blood would only continue to burn. It was futile to resist the call for much longer he knew, but he had no idea how he could protect Chi-chi if he surrendered entirely to the moon's hypnotic song.

'_I… I don't want to transform…'_

'_**Do it…'**_the voice roared in his mind._**'Surrender everything and you will have the power to destroy your enemy and everything… it is what you were supposed to do long ago…'**_

'_But Chi-chi…'_

'_**She's only a fucking human who deserves to die like the rest of the vermin on this pitiful rock… her life has no meaning and she deserves to die…'**_

'_No!'_ Goku hissed almost cat-like while he felt his muscles aching from the pressure of his resistance and denial to transform. _'I won't kill her!'_

'_**You can only resist for so long…'**_the voice suggested in his mind. _**'Why not surrender like you wanted her to and just allow everything to return to dust?'**_

'_I won't allow anyone else I care about die…'_ Goku looked down at his wife. He wished she were awake so he could apologize to her for everything he put her through. His body ached and he knew he was fighting a losing battle against his bestial side. Already, his consciousness was ebbing again and he knew that he might end up murdering her.

'_Give me strength Chi-chi…'_ Goku silently prayed before pressing his lips to her own. It felt like it was nearly a lifetime ago that he last felt and tasted her lips. His heightened senses from the pending transformation caught the sound of footsteps and he already knew he was at his limit trying to stave off the transformation as long as he could.

Curling Chi-chi in his arms, he rushed at the wall and broke through it with the added strength in his body with his backside. While falling, his gaze once more fell upon the moon. In that moment, he felt everything fade away as the last of his consciousness vanished in the undertow of the beast he would become.

* * *

Buried in the recesses of his own mind, Goku watched helplessly while he felt his body transform into the pinnacle of the Saiya-jin race. He felt like he was trapped underneath the ice and saw how small his wife was in contrast of his beefy paws.

'_NO! Don't kill her!'_ Goku cried out to the beast inhibiting his mind.

'_**Why? She's better off dying than living right now… especially after what that Raizen bastard did to her…'**_

'_What are you saying? She can recover...'_

'_**Doubtful… she's helpless and better off dead…'**_

'_I won't let her die…'_ Goku fought for control and suddenly felt the primitive mind give way to his own pure thoughts.

Gaining control of the transformation, he felt Chi-chi resting limply in his grasp and saw the soldiers lunging towards him. Wasting no time, he smacked them down like gnats with his opposite hand; hearing their dying cries before the splattered against the wall. A satisfying roar escaped his beastly maw and he continued fighting against both Raizen and his men in the transformation that was capable of taking the Daza-jin down.

Yet, the hours blurred by and the moon eventually set; forcing Goku to revert back to his humanoid form. He had to quickly catch Chi-chi when that happened and he gently set her down again on the ground. His clothes were ravaged remains of what he had been wearing earlier by that point since the transformation had caused some of the non-elastic portions of his clothes to rip to shreds. Even the make-shift bandages were gone from his now exposed hands. He wanted to collapse, to give into sleep, but he couldn't rest knowing Raizen was still alive.

Eventually, a weakened moan reached his ears as Chi-chi awakened. He made a critical mistake acknowledging it and Raizen quickly took advantage of it by pushing the Earth-raised Saiya-jin into a tree that quickly collapsed upon him. The jagged edges of the tree dug into his back and he cried out in pain as the blood soaked his outfit.

"If you're done trying to get up, I suggest you yield to death," Raizen spoke coldly.

"N-never…" Goku choked out before vomiting a bit of blood onto the ground. He felt a sharp blow in his chest before pain raked across his face. Dirt and coldness stung his wounds while Raizen stood towering over the Earth-raised Saiya-jin.

"You're not even a match for me anymore," he spat in distaste before turning and started his stride towards the helpless woman. He spoke in a less threatening tone towards her in an attempt to lure her in a false sense of comfort. "Come along my dear. We cannot stay on this accursed planet with no life."

"I…" Chi-chi was befuddled by his behavior and for a moment wondered if he could truly trust this alien. She reached out to him when a sputtering cough stopped her. Her gaze took in the injured man and she felt almost sorry for him being in the condition he was in.

"Chi… Chi-chi… don't…" Goku hissed in pain; wishing to keep her from making a grave mistake. The last thing he wanted was for her to end up going through the same thing he did. It would destroy the Earth-raised Saiya-jin if Raizen had her. "If… if you go, then… he'll win…"

"Win? Win what?" Chi-chi asked in an unsure voice. She withdrew her hand and seemed nervous for an odd reason. Why was she hesitating? This man before her had bested the other who was critically injured, but for some reason, she was repulsed by his frightening appearance. She had no idea who she should trust: the one who was hurt or the one who held his hand out with some sort of promise that she wasn't aware of as of yet?

"Don't let that Saiya-jin fool you! He's trying to make you join him in order to ravage your body!" Raizen warned the female. Chi-chi was considering what the Daza-jin had said and almost reached out when a soft voice filled her mind.

'_I wouldn't do that. He's wiped out your memories and wants to wish you immortal. You may have forgotten who I am mentally, but deep inside, your body and heart remembers me.'_

'_Who are you?'_

'_Chi-chi, it's me… Goku…'_

'_Goku?'_ Chi-chi looked over at the man who seemed to be looking at her with sadness in his eyes. Seeing him there and noting the pained expression on his face made her head start to ache and she clutched it in her hands. A cry of frustration escaped her lips and she had no idea who she should trust.

'_Yes Chi-chi… I'm your husband… your mate… remember me…'_ Goku pleaded to Chi-chi with a pained voice.

"Go…" Chi-chi started to say, but Raizen noticed that Goku was stretching his hand out to her in order to win her trust. Angrily, he kicked the Earth-raised Saiya-jin's arm before slamming it down with his foot. The force caused his shoulder to be dislocated and he cried out in pain while his bones were crushed. It was almost enough to render him unconscious, but the pain was enough to keep him aware of everything that was going on.

"You… you kicked him while he was down…" Chi-chi accused. She began to rise to her feet and shook like a leaf while the cloak fell to the ground. Exposed to the elements, she shivered slightly, but ignored the coldness long enough to slide into a fighting posture.

"Yeah, so what?" Raizen questioned in a hateful tone unlike the one he used earlier.

"I can't trust you," Chi-chi glared coldly at Raizen. She knew Goku had been telling the truth since she saw that he did nothing to harm her so far.

"So, you wish to die with him? Then so be it." Raizen vowed and flew at Chi-chi in order to take her out.

With agility and little injuries hindering her, Chi-chi dodged Raizen before countering with her own strike to his back. The Daza-jin did not expect her to fight back, let alone have the strength to continue where Goku left off. She fought against him instinctively; driven on what adrenaline she had running through her veins.

"Chi-chi…" Goku called out before his eyes fell shut; not knowing when he would awake again.

* * *

A wet cloth touched his face when the Earth-raised Saiya-jin came to next. His vision was blurred at first, but cleared when he saw that Chi-chi was wiping away the dirt and blood on his face. A part of him felt he did not deserve it, but at the moment, he couldn't even move, let alone push her away.

"Are you alright?" Chi-chi showed concern on her face and wondered if Raizen was truly dead.

"Is he dead?" Goku questioned.

"I think so. He was pinned under a tree and I fired a blast at him…" It was then he felt the horrid power approaching and without a word, he shielded her with his own body and felt the blast tear at his back; exposing his burned skin, muscle and ripping through the spandex he wore. The attack left his back searing with pain and he nearly lost consciousness again.

"Run…" Goku warned before he pitched forward heavily into her arms.

"_**NOOO!"**_ He felt his body hit the ground moments later while he heard Chi-chi's footsteps retreating in fear.

"Pity, I killed that bodyguard you call a Saiya-jin." Raizen spoke venomously. "Now it's your turn my dear…"

"You killed him…" Chi-chi howled; the treble voice rising in pitch in accusing him of his wrongdoing. "YOU KILLED HIM!" A blast was fired at Raizen and it stung his body despite how weak she looked at that moment. "YOU BASTARD! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR KILLING HIM!"

"Are you telling me…?" Raizen started before another blast pierced his leg, injuring him further. "Damn you bitch…"

"I won't let you live!" Chi-chi sobbed while she pulled all of the chi she had left in her body. It was a wasted effort when the blast missed the Daza-jin. Moments later, she fell helplessly to the ground and felt despair knowing she had failed to kill him with her final attack. He could easily kill her and was at his mercy.

"You're not going to hell before I…" Raizen threat ended when a blast pierced his chest through his vile heart. Standing behind the man was Goku on his last legs as his lifeless eyes fell upon the dying monster. "Curse you…"

Almost in slow motion, Goku fell earthward at the same time Raizen fell. Chi-chi crawled over to her husband and lifted his head into her lap.

"I'm sorry Chi-chi…" Goku muttered softly. "…I caused you so much pain that I am better off dead… I don't deserve to live any longer anyway and…"

"No… you can't…" Chi-chi felt the tears stinging her eyes. _'I don't want to be alone… I need you Goku…'_

'_Chi-chi… I don't have much time left…'_ Goku telepathically answered and focused with what power he had left. The last thing he wanted was for her to be left alone to suffer in the elements from what soldiers might remain on the planet. Feeling everything displace around him, he nearly felt himself cross over while he teleported himself and Chi-chi to where he knew she could receive aid.

'_Where are we?'_ Chi-chi questioned.

"Tell them that Son Goku sent you… they'll help you… remember..." Goku couldn't hear what Chi-chi had said; he couldn't even see anymore as what little life he had left drained from his body. It was after uttering these final words that he felt the peace and total surrender of death claim his body and soul.

_**To Be Continued…**_


End file.
